I stumbled upon this question on a website and was stunned by the findings:
Q. What is the ultimate origin of moral value?
Final Results
user(s) polled.
user(s) polled.
1. God 17.5%
2. Nature 23%
2. Nature 23%
3. Culture 38%
4. Other 21.5%
The reason that I found this astounding is because of the implications of this are so profound. The ultimate origin of moral value was seen by 38% of those polled to be culture. All cultures, regardless of their values, are equal. The cultures promoting peace are the same as those promoting imperialism. Slavery and abolition are of the same essence, since after all, moral value (albeit separate moral values and separate ends) were derived from their culture. Who am I to say that one is right and one is wrong? Who am I to say that Communism is inferior to a republican form of government? Both derived their own moral value from their respective cultures.
Secondly, all moral value could come from nature. That means the natural order of things (read, Darwinian evolutionary theory) comes from "progress" and domination. I look around and nature says that the strongest survive. Social Darwinism and Eugenics surely follow closely behind on the heels of this theory.
Thirdly, other is the origin of all moral value. What could 'other' mean? Perhaps it means from extraterrestrials? It could mean it is derived from the automobile? Seriously though, what other possibilities could there be? Other is just an out for people who are too timid to say what's on their mind.
Finally, the ultimate origin of moral value could come from God. One of the reasons from my Top 10 list "Why I believe in God" would have to be that if there is no God, then there are no rights. Where would our rights to liberty come from? If they came from culture, then culture can change those original assumptions. As a theist, I firmly fall in this camp. There are absolutes in this world (besides, to say that there is no absolute laws in the world is itself absolute...). There is Truth in this world. There is a reason for living in this world. This came in the form of the Word becoming incarnate. Quite honestly, I don't know how else moral values can come into this world except through that pathway.
I am still in complete shock by the winner of the poll. We are talking about the ultimate origin of all moral value coming from cultures, regardless of their stance. Yet, why should this outcome surprise me?
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2 comments:
You seem to have complete misunderstanding of the theory of natural selection. I natural selection there is no predetermination of the outcome but rather series of random accidental changes which leads to non survival of 99.99...% of the changed species. From those who survived 99.99..% will be affected by changing circumstances in the long term environment and will ultimately die off. Through this random changes we are a part of this wonderful accident of the earth, animal kingdom and the humanity. We should cherish every second of our existence and our communion with other human beings. We have also arrived at the point of our development that we are able to affect and change process of evolution by technological means, this will allow us (the humanity) to avoid being wiped out by large meteorite of other cosmic cataclysm when it will come.
Thanks for clearing that point of view up Tomj. I am the first to admit that I do not understand the complete logic behind natural selection and I subsequently do not admit that I am a scientist! But my question to you is where does the matter that begun the random accidental changes in mutation derive itself from? I have no problem with a Big Bang Theory, my only problem is where that original building block came from.
I do not believe that they are random accidental changes, but there is a purpose behind the changes. I will agree with your point of cherishing our time with other people. But to get back to the point of moral value, where does moral value come from in a random mutated world? Where does the notion of communion with human beings derive itself from?
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