<<<It is not generally accepted in the community of moralists
and ethicists that love for family members is ethical at all. >>>
Would you name an ethicist or two who takes the position that love for family members is not ethical at all? Actually it's not clear to me what 'community' you're referring to here. 'Ethicists,' as I understood it, refers to a new vocational category of persons paid to think about, and pronounce upon, life and death issues in the medical arena.
As to moralists, other than (conceivably) Friedrich Nietzsche and Max Stirner, who are hardly representative of the "community of moralists," who might you be thinking represents this community that doesn't think love for family is ethical? Are these men representative of the community of moralists, and if so, do they look with disapproval on love of family?: Bertrand Russell, G.E. Moore, David Hume, J.S. Mill, Baruch Spinoza, Martin Buber, John Locke, Immanuel Kant.... who else?, I can't think....
I guess an extreme of the Benthamite position might suggest discounting genetic connection in allocating affection. In the 18th century, there was lively albeit amused discussion over whether one was, as a utilitarian, obligated to save from a fire one's mother or the Archbishop Fenelon, Fenelon's contributions to the human good being, one could presume, greater than those of Mom. That line of argument is now looked on as a curiosity.
About Jesus, it is commonly understood that the injunction to turn against your family and follow him was operationally mandated by his delusion that the end of the world was near and salvation was only possible for those who attached themselves utterly to him, as a representative of God. The immediate circumstance of these anti-family injunctions was the need to create a flying squad of proselytizers who would get directly to work saving the believers. Nobody seriously takes these injunctions as a general counsel not to love family. (Admission: this last para I got from my hubby.)
Nihil, you never admitted I was right in my post saying you'd shoot to protect your beloved high-parental-investment 14 yr old daughter from predatory teachers and other assorted neighborhood guys! I am not talking about from responsible 16 year olds, either. Come on, admit it, and don't start talking about other cultures, either. |
