4 ms·

Morality is too blunt of a tool for this kind of question. Right now we are way over-moralizing many issues and it's not helpful to a discussion. Morality is u

Morality is too blunt of a tool for this kind of question. Right now we are way over-moralizing many issues and it's not helpful to a discussion. Morality is useful to avoid rationalizing things that we know are wrong. For example, killing is wrong -- we don't want individuals making complex rationalizations about how the end justifies the means. But something as complex as the place a person chooses to live? No, that's a morally-neutral choice. It may not be optimal for the benefit of society, but that's not what morality is about.

Dracophoenix 5y ago
>For example, killing is wrong -- we don't want individuals making complex rationalizations about how the end justifies the means. Humanity justifies it in self-defense and war. A long time ago, civilizations justified human sacrifices. It doesn't take a complex rationalization. Only a convincing one. While the platitude of "killing is wrong" is repeated by everyone, if you dig deep enough, people will still provide carveouts for themselves and their country or religion. Whether killing is good or bad is assessed by people objectively in terms of motives and consequences, and, on a subjective level, manner and "proportion". There wouldn't be a distinction between homicide and murder if humanity as a whole practiced what it preached. >But something as complex as the place a person chooses to live? No, that's a morally-neutral choice. It may not be optimal for the benefit of society, but that's not what morality is about. I agree entirely. However this seems like a massive departure from what I've had to argue against in this forum. Plenty have claimed the opposite, that morality is all about society and any correlated externality IS obliged to be solved by government or the people through a half-baked redistribution scheme.

4 ms·

Morality is too blunt of a tool for this kind of question. Right now we are way over-moralizing many issues and it's not helpful to a discussion. Morality is u

by chmod600 5y ago

Dracophoenix 5y ago
>For example, killing is wrong -- we don't want individuals making complex rationalizations about how the end justifies the means. Humanity justifies it in self-defense and war. A long time ago, civilizations justified human sacrifices. It doesn't take a complex rationalization. Only a convincing one. While the platitude of "killing is wrong" is repeated by everyone, if you dig deep enough, people will still provide carveouts for themselves and their country or religion. Whether killing is good or bad is assessed by people objectively in terms of motives and consequences, and, on a subjective level, manner and "proportion". There wouldn't be a distinction between homicide and murder if humanity as a whole practiced what it preached. >But something as complex as the place a person chooses to live? No, that's a morally-neutral choice. It may not be optimal for the benefit of society, but that's not what morality is about. I agree entirely. However this seems like a massive departure from what I've had to argue against in this forum. Plenty have claimed the opposite, that morality is all about society and any correlated externality IS obliged to be solved by government or the people through a half-baked redistribution scheme.