So, What Should We Do? What will be your moral fundament of what is cruel and selfish when raising new generations? — Aleksander
As you suggested in another post, It's dangerous to mandate a one-dimensional moral doctrine, but I can tell you what I would preach if I was standing at the pulpit.
The core of what i'm talking about is honesty. Honest effort to understand the true effects of one's actions (though we can never fully understand), honest intent to create the best outcome overall, for all humans including oneself (Utilitarian I guess), and honest expression of one's feelings (to make the effects of action clearer).
I think even destructive feelings of rage and hatred should be communicated in some way, and when they are communicated, I think the whole community is responsible for helping the person through those patterns of destruction/self-destruction. Often, these expressions are ignored, condemned, or punished, and I believe that allows the destructive impulse to grow. Of course, even in the most nurturing environments, some people still hold onto hatred/selfishness and let it destroy them. I only think it would happen a lot less if everybody saw the growth and flourishing of the entire community as part of their individual responsibility. It's about effort and awareness on an individual level.
Welcome, mejonat.
I think what you think points to a basic and continuing problem for all living beings.
It is a power issue at different levels and interactions.
No matter what happens in the future, this will persist.
We have real problems right now which need to be addressed.
Some things are improving along with pressure groups and increased knowledge or awareness of what is actually going on.
If things are to change then those in power responsible for atrocious events or even simply poor decision making should be held to account. — Amity
Thank you.
I agree with what you say here, but I think that even this basic problem can be reduced in potency over time. I also believe that "solving the problem", though it can never be completely "solved", involves examining and dealing with the basic core processes involved. These are fundamental parts of our experience as humans, and what I described is the closest thing I can think of to the actual source of our problems. It's also important, I think, to reflect on how humans develop universally, not just as individuals, and what we can do to heal destructive tendencies. This is what I'm trying to point to.
I also agree that there are plenty of other problems that need to be addressed, but I don't think that's enough of a reason to forget about the fundamental problems. I think both need to be tackled. In my opinion, only focusing on the current problems (or the "real" ones) is like continually suppressing the symptoms without looking at healing the disease. We need to look to the future as well, and I actually believe we can do both.