It is certainly a valid question, and an important question, but why a dilemma?The only true dilemma is why shouldn't I act only in accordance with my whims? — Wosret
The only true dilemma is why shouldn't I act only in accordance with my whims? If truth and morality are man made, and not objective, but merely someone else's arbitrary impositions on me, for ultimately selfish, deceitful, and or antiquated values. If it's all motivated, power struggles, identity politics, and tribalistic allegiances, then why shouldn't I behave only in accordance with my own preferences and benefits? The only real objection to that could be that it wouldn't work, that no one is skilled enough in manipulation or deception to get away with it, but that can be reduced to the lack of certainty, and fear of
failure involved in any undertaking. It isn't obviously impossible. What could be holding them back other than fear, slavery, and attachment?
Why shouldn't I just take everything I want from everyone in every moment? — Wosret
1. Morality exists
2. It is not man-made, but innate to man and other animals
3. You can't break the moral code you have — szardosszemagad
We aren't just born moral, and don't have to learn it, and strive for it. This is clearly not the case. What do you figure when you see someone that is immoral? Mutant? Every time? — Wosret
entirely irrelevant to the truth — Wosret
Invisible rings don't protect you from infrared cameras, don't provide alibis, and can be found during search warrants.It is the world I find myself in. I qualified if you could get away with it. This question was posed in the republic I believe it was (one of Plato's dialogues), one of the discussants suggests that if one were to find a ring that made one invisible, and one could get away with whatever they wanted while maintaining their reputation, then it is desirable to do so, and most people would do so. If morality is just prudence, then it indeed is for the weak and incompetent. — Wosret
No, I don't think this follows at all. Clinical psychological practice illustrates very clearly that a psychopath is self-deceived to a much greater degree than most people, and engages in actions they think will bring them satisfaction but which never do.A psychopath's truth is very clear to them. — Baden
Yes, no doubt that many people are capable of doing immoral things.On top of that, most people have a psychopathic shadow lurking not far underneath the surface — Baden
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. In the same way, you appear to be righteous on the outside, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins. You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. — Matthew 23:27-36
The only true dilemma is why shouldn't I act only in accordance with my whims? If truth and morality are man made, and not objective, but merely someone else's arbitrary impositions on me, for ultimately selfish, deceitful, and or antiquated values. If it's all motivated, power struggles, identity politics, and tribalistic allegiances, then why shouldn't I behave only in accordance with my own preferences and benefits? —
Why shouldn't I just take everything I want from everyone in every moment? —
1. Morality exists
2. It is not man-made, but innate to man and other animals
3. You can't break the moral code you have
— szardosszemagad
1 is true, but 2 and 3 aren't. We aren't just born moral, and don't have to learn it, and strive for it. This is clearly not the case. What do you figure when you see someone that is immoral? Mutant? Every time? — Wosret
Either everything you've just said is only what you would like to be true, what you'd prefer to believe, it is coincidentally both what you'd prefer, but also true, or it is truth completely, and entirely regardless of what you'd prefer to be true. In the first case, which you seem to be suggesting, there is no such thing as truth at all. In the second case, my preferences coinciding with the truth is a happy accident, which is swell and all, but in the third case is when the truth becomes more difficult. When it isn't how you'd prefer, and allowing your preferences to determine you beliefs is called wishful thinking, self-deception, and things of that nature. — Wosret
Why shouldn't I just take everything I want from everyone in every moment? — Wosret
1 is false, mania is excessive happiness, and causes impulsiveness, and reduced quality. Bi-polar is the only mental illness actually correlated with creativity, because one is super productive during manic periods, but destructive, separating the wheat from the chafe during depressive periods. Same with taking a lot of sweet drugs, one is extra creative, but destroyer of worlds on the down turn. One feels much much better than the other, but that has little to do with how good they are. Excess in either direction, or one without the other is unhealthy. — Wosret
If you could help, you ought to. If you would hinder, you ought not.3. No necessarily true, I can commend qualities, skills, appearances, activities in others without then feeling it necessary to get myself involved with their being brought about. — Wosret
4 is a nonsequitur, from 3. Need something more than that, without spiraling into an absurdly full schedule. — Wosret
5 Why is waiving obligations work like that? — Wosret
No it isnt that some unhealth states involve happiness, its that excessive happiness itself generates them, and if this itself is possible then happiness isnt paramount. — Wosret
You need to do more than assert the oughts and ought nots. Give reasons. — Wosret
Thats how debts work that others have to me, which isnt the same thing as an obligation to oneself. — Wosret
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