Moral Relativism

[franko]

So as not to confuse hockey with ethics, I suggest that if the discussion on morals is to develop it continue here rather than in the Begin hit thread.

[franko]

toronthab said:

iamcanadiens said:

What opposes this is simply the conviction that it is wrong, morally wrong, against the meaning and value of human life.

toronthab said:

Many people are tossing around the concept of morals which are a person's standards of behaviour or beliefs concerning what is or is not acceptable to them. We all have are own beliefs so we all have our own moral standards. So saying that Begin's actions are morally wrong only applies to some of us, certainly not me.

So things are wrong only because I think they are? I frankly think that moral relativism has no foundation to it. It's elitist and because its arbitrary is necessarily subjective and is the real case of imposing one's own morality on others.

I, like most (though they usually aren't aware of it) am a moral absolutist. I believe many acts are intrinsically good and others intrinsically wrong. If you ever use the words "should", or "ought to" then you too are a moral absolutist.

To "prove" that some things are true, like that human beings have transcendent value, then you have to prove the existence of God (which I think Aquinas has done) or equally validly be a person of faith.

Moral relativism however is definitely groundless. Most relativists scream when someone steals their bike.

You might enjoy "A Refutation of Moral Relativism" by Prof Peter Kreeft at Boston College

www.peterkreeft.com/audio/05_relativism/00_introduction.mp3

[franko]

I laugh to myself when people say "Don't push your morals on me", for they are doing the same thing to me!

We all have some form of morality and limits . . . they just differ.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Referees for tonights game:

Aquinas and Milton.

Linesmen:

Confucious and Gandhi.

Goal Judges:

Sidhartha and Bork.

Instant Replay:

John Paul.

[insomnius]

Coaches:

For the home team: Plato, Socrates, Aristotle

For the visiting team: Nietszche, Schopenhauer, CG Jung

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Starting goalies:

Habs - José Theokratis

Visitors - The Holey Ghost

[Toronthab]

habsfaninla said:

Referees for tonights game:

Aquinas and Milton.

Linesmen:

Confucious and Gandhi.

Goal Judges:

Sidhartha and Bork.

Instant Replay:

John Paul.

HAAHAAHAAHA! Too good

[Toronthab]

mrbozo said:

Starting goalies:

Habs - José Theokratis

Visitors - The Holey Ghost

Would The Holey be Racicot??

[Toronthab]

franko said:

I laugh to myself when people say "Don't push your morals on me", for they are doing the same thing to me!

We all have some form of morality and limits . . . they just differ.

Philosophical debate is like hockey, only with more heavy hitting. It is the coolest damn thing.

Kreeft's "A Rrefutation of Moral Relativism" is just that. The book is based upon a number of exchanges on Relativism and Absolutism between a young black woman reporter and a professor of philosophy at Oxford.

It is an electric exchange and a terrific read as these two present and in a real sense, define themselves.

In the same sense that Socrates observed that every human is dogmatic and must be so to be humnan, so are all moral absolutists.

Why is elbowing a player in the head wrong?

Is it wrong? Or do we just say it's wrong? Is there really no basis for telling Hitlers and ourselves that we are wrong.? I oppose capital punishment. Am I not morally obliged to seek to advance and legally "impose" this moral truth on others. And note that I say a moral truth. There is no ambiguity surrounding the issue.

Now I'll duck.

[Toronthab]

Boy! What a cheap round!