“On this framework you can build just about the entire edifice of morality.”

– I should reconsider this.  It’s cooperation and interdependence that is responsible for the evolution of human morality in both its small group and large group incarnations.  This framework that Jesus described is the basis of present day, everyday ethics, including h…[Read more]

@tom – I don’t think it’s possible to make such a fine value judgement of the outcome.  At most, we can only describe the situation as it is.  It’s good that in the long term, slavery was abolished.  It’s regrettable that this came at the cost of 750,000 lives.  Each loss is regrettable.  Was each loss necessary?  That’s probably something we ca…[Read more]

@Simon, @notsimple: The Civil War freed approx 2.3 million slaves. it killed approx 750 thousand combatants.
Was it moral?

Belle Rose wrote:

That is very True Strega, but it seems like he’s pushing for the idea that somehow there should be some exclusion in a society- not treating people the same. It’s really a different kind of oppression wrapped up in intellectual bs.

That’s about as far from what he’s saying as it’s possible to be. He’s a philosopher simply ask…[Read more]