Monday, December 23, 2002

[Colin Glassey] On Moral Systems Steve Den Beste has another facinating essay on morality up on his site which he calls consequentialism. My take on ethical systems diverges from Steven on a few points. I believe that social biology shows us, to some degree, why people think they way they do. Ethical systems for humans must acknowledge that we are individuals with social goals. These social goals can not be satisified by all people at the same time. In other words, we all want things (children, desirable mates, possesions, fame, social standing) and we can't all achieve them. I believe that choices should, in general, be made with the goal of providing the maximum benefit over the long term. This is roughly speaking what Steven calls Rule Utilitarianism. Rule Utilitarianism says that you should follow a rule which, if always applied by everyone in a similar situation, would maximize happiness even if it does not do so in this particular instance. I believe there are some absolutes in morality, in the sense there are acts which are immoral but may be less evil than all other choices. Perhaps this really doesn't change much from Rule Utilitarianism, but in the real world, we don't have the time or knowledge to figure out all the consquences of our actions. So, as a rule of thumb, the moral absolutes serve as a kind of moral shorthand. For me these are: don't lie (without good reason); don't steal (without a really good reason); don't injure/kill others (without a really really good reason). Do treat other people with respect; do not pay attention to their skin color. Try to think how the effects of your decisions will echo into the future, try to make sure choices will add to world in the future. I believe in the importance of intelligence and knowledge. The maximization of reason and learning is, to my mind, an absolute good. To the extent that people add to intelligence and knowledge of the world, they are good. To the extent they reduce reason and knowledge, they are bad. Ultimately this belief in the value of reason and knowledge allows my morality to transcend species. The extent to which other species are intelligent is the degree to which we should value them. Wanton destruction of slime mold is no problem for me morally. Killing of chimps and dolphins does bother me. I'm human centered in that it will have to be proved to my satisfaction that other animals have intelligence equal to that of humans before I'm willing to accord them human rights. However I don't reject the possibility that one day this will occur. Until that day comes, I judge treatment of others based on a sliding scale: more intelligent, more respect. I believe there is a point to human existance. In my opinion the goal of human existance is to spread the earth's biosphere throughout the galaxy. We have spent 5,000 years of human civilization getting to the point where we are today, with near god-like powers over of the earth. We are in charge of our planet. The moral systems which gave meaning to humans have nothing more to say to us now. Spreading intelligent earth-like life throughout the galaxy should be a sufficiently large goal for the next 5,000 years of human civilization. Given this goal to human existance, there are some moral consquences. 5:42:44 PM     [Colin Glassey] Invasion of Iraq I don't see any way for Iraq to avoid an invasion by the United States and Great Britain in January of 2003. I don't really want to see Iraq avoid being invaded but still, Saddam is such an idiot. For me this just shows, yet again, how bad dictatorships are as a system of government. Saddam was nothing much even at the begining, just a killer who got far thanks to clever friends and huge ambitions. But really, staring in the teeth of the United States armed forces, who does he think is going to save him? What I hope to see is: a powerful, intelligent attack swiftly executed. A demonstration to the whole world (and especially the radical Moslems) that the United States is no paper tiger but the real thing: the most powerful nation the world has ever seen. And finally, the creation of a democratic secular government in Iraq. Free the people of Iraq. Next in line for freedom from tyranny are: the people of Iran, the people of North Korea, and the people of Saudi Arabia. Will other people hate and fear the United States? Yes. Should we sit back and let dictators ruin their countries and impoverish and kill their people? What do you think? Did we win the Cold War against the U.S.S.R. to become the world's policeman? To some degree, yes we did. 5:01:34 PM     [Colin Glassey] All Music Web Site I found an amazing web site today thanks to the sad news of Joe Strummer's death at the age of 50. The site is All Music Guide. Like the necessary Internet Movie Database, this is a super use of hyperlinking to create a database of everything in the world of music. Its great! 4:50:55 PM

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