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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated
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To: Lane3 who wrote (117472)6/1/2005 6:42:44 PM
From: TimF  Read Replies (1) of 794032
 
I know of no way for a value to acquire the quality of "absolute" but to be declared so by some authority.

An absolute might be given by God, or it might be a function of the way the universe is set up in a metaphysical sense (perhaps something like Plato's idea of ideal forms), or it might be considered inherent in human nature. But I'm not arguing metaphysics right now, the point is the value is absolute, at least in the mind of the person who considers it to be so. The fact that he thinks something is absolute, but that doesn't mean he has to be authoritarian or support totalitarianism.

If you're looking at that as a value you personally hold dear and wouldn't compromise for everything, fine, but we all have those and they differ so there's nothing absolute about them.

Its more than just considering something an important value. Its the idea that some idea or value is intrinsically and totally correct and that it is correct for all individuals and in every culture. (Not that every or even any culture has to recognize the idea but that their lack of recognition doesn't make the idea false, but rather means they are ignorant or mistaken).

Such ideas certainly can lead to inflexibility, and even to an aggressive attempt to impose them on others, but such an attempt is not inherently connected to supporting the idea of moral absolutes.

Tim
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