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What you are indulging in here is the naturalistic fallacy, aka the is-ought fallacy. What's natural tells us nothing about what's good. Tuberculosis is natura
by wpietri 5y ago
What you are indulging in here is the naturalistic fallacy, aka the is-ought fallacy. What's natural tells us nothing about what's good.
Tuberculosis is natural. Tooth decay is natural. If you believe what's natural is what's good, go hang out with people coughing their lungs out. Stop brushing your teeth. Refuse to take antibiotics. Have your next of kin let me know how long you survive in your immersion in utter facts of nature.
Similarly, if you think power over people is good, prove it. Send me all your money. Sign a power of attorney. I'm good, I promise.
(You also have a lot of fantasies about intrinsic goodness/badness. That may work in particularly Manichean novels involving wizards and whatnot. But please recognize that's the inside of your head leaking out, and not what's actually happening in the world.)
- mostertoaster 5y agoWhat makes us humans as opposed to mere animals, is that we are not ruled by nature. Power exists naturally, the lion will tear apart the gazelle, chimpanzees will engage in cannibalism, it’s our humanness that allows what is natural to also be good. We should not devolve into nihilism, we should reach for what is good. Those stories are the way we describe what some material thing is doing. They most certainly exist and not just in my head, they’re just not material.
- mostertoaster 5y agoI didn’t say power over people is good. I said it is natural. Of nature. Good is not of nature. Power over people can be used for good, and can be used for evil. I would give all my money to that which is good. Where do you think goodness comes from? You said it is not from nature? So you believe things exist outside of the material world?