Morality
I was just trying to think if I could think up a sort of universal moral code.
Problem 1: 'morality' is related to the Latin 'mores', denoting customs, i.e. things that are thought right *in the Roman world*.
Solution: call it something other than 'morality'. I choose 'right and wrong'.
There are some things that I think might be thought wrong *pretty* universally, like killing people maliciously, or lying, or killing people in order to eat them (I don't mean eating already-dead people).
Problem 2: counter-examples can surely be found showing that even these things might be accepted in the odd culture.
Solution: there isn't one for now, but let's think about positive things instead.
There are some things that I think are thought good pretty universally. Like helping people. I can't think of e.g. a major religious group that doesn't advocate helping people.
Problem 3: If you try to think of universal good things, they have to be *really* vague if you've any chance of reaching universality with them.
Solutiom: haven't got one.
So you see, I have problems without solutions. I remain blindly convinced that humanity has something in common that has an ethical basis (i.e. it's to do with right and wrong). I'm not sure if this is wishful thinking, but I hope it isn't, because I might lose faith in a lot of things I believe if I decide it is. So please help me think further, whatever your opinion is.
Problem 1: 'morality' is related to the Latin 'mores', denoting customs, i.e. things that are thought right *in the Roman world*.
Solution: call it something other than 'morality'. I choose 'right and wrong'.
There are some things that I think might be thought wrong *pretty* universally, like killing people maliciously, or lying, or killing people in order to eat them (I don't mean eating already-dead people).
Problem 2: counter-examples can surely be found showing that even these things might be accepted in the odd culture.
Solution: there isn't one for now, but let's think about positive things instead.
There are some things that I think are thought good pretty universally. Like helping people. I can't think of e.g. a major religious group that doesn't advocate helping people.
Problem 3: If you try to think of universal good things, they have to be *really* vague if you've any chance of reaching universality with them.
Solutiom: haven't got one.
So you see, I have problems without solutions. I remain blindly convinced that humanity has something in common that has an ethical basis (i.e. it's to do with right and wrong). I'm not sure if this is wishful thinking, but I hope it isn't, because I might lose faith in a lot of things I believe if I decide it is. So please help me think further, whatever your opinion is.