Gregg R Thomas

Simon Paynton wrote:
Morality is less about human well being, than about the process itself, of achieving it; and one way is through helping others in need, and rescuing or restoring their well being.

That’s fact-free jibber jabber. It’s idealistic fantasizing. By saying “one way,” out the window goes any pretense of absolutism or universality or…[Read more]

Unseen wrote:
Yeah, well “human well being” is something that societies define for themselves through mutual agreement and acceptance, and what that will be (we’re back to this) will vary from time to time and place to place.

Morality is less about human well being, than about the process itself, of achieving it; and one way is through helpi…[Read more]

Unseen wrote:
As soon as you mentioned “ideal,” you revealed that you were not actually talking about facts

Yes, but an “ideal state” is a factual state, that has certain factual qualities (ideal qualities).

Moral realism is not simple and does not get defined.  I think morality has a number of factual aspects, as far as it refers to fact…[Read more]

Simon Paynton wrote:
Yes – what exactly is moral relativism?  Is it the moral philosophy that nothing is better than anything else?

Moral relativism isn’t a simple concept. On the one hand, it’s an epithet meant to describe ethical anarchy. In the historical sense, it’s a recognition that the values that conform to right and wrong vary ac…[Read more]

I have a long read post in Sunday School this week on morals.

Unseen wrote:
How do you define moral relativism? If morals are not relative, then they are absolute which means factual.

Yes – what exactly is moral relativism?  Is it the moral philosophy that nothing is better than anything else?  I don’t believe anyone lives like that.  Everyone has values by which to evaluate their own behaviour and ot…[Read more]

@ Robert @ Jake

How do you define moral relativism?

If morals are not relative, then they are absolute which means factual. How would you go about proving that morality, which varies vastly from time to time and place to place is factual and not simply local beliefs at a given place and time?

I can’t wait to hear the answer.

A not bad at all full concert fancam showing that they always deliver your money’s worth when performing live.

Unseen wrote:
Yeah, like people who own parrots. Abnormal.

True – “abnormal” is not necessarily the exact opposite of “normal”.

Anyway, it’s time to get back to the original topic which is how AI raises questions regarding how to define porn and whether it can even have some positive uses, for example in treating pedophilia.

_Robert_ wrote:
Has sexualizing children ever been a moral act? Has rape ever been a moral act? Has owning people as slaves ever been moral act? The answer to those questions is and has always been a factual no.

Morals vary from place to place and time to time. They are beliefs. “Sexualizing” as used today is a new concept that didn’t exist until…[Read more]

@ Robert

You talk about right and wrong like they are facts and not artifacts. You don’t seem to know the difference between facts and beliefs. Cultural values are not facts subject to verification and proof. If they evolve over time, like our beliefs about homosexuality, they are not and cannot be facts.

Simon Paynton wrote:

Unseen wrote:
You treat “normal” as if normality is a fact and not a judgment or standard.

“Normal” can mean, neutrally, “most of the time” or “usually”. In that sense, paedophiles are a small minority and therefore abnormal.

Yeah, like people who own parrots. Abnormal.

Unseen wrote:
You treat “normal” as if normality is a fact and not a judgment or standard.

“Normal” can mean, neutrally, “most of the time” or “usually”.  In that sense, paedophiles are a small minority and therefore abnormal.

@ Robert
You treat “normal” as if normality is a fact and not a judgment or standard. That is what we disagree about. For you, the ancient Greek men who diddled around with boys were violating some sort Truth handed down by God or perhaps built into the fabric of the Cosmos, and not simply a strongly held value and belief of a certain culture at a…[Read more]

RichRaelian wrote:
I don’t agree.

With whom or what explicitly?

_Robert_ wrote:
Any efforts to paint child predators as the victims here is disturbed. I am not giving pedos and predators any excuses by calling them mentally ill. would even call it psychopathic behavior and reiterate that they must be removed from society.

How do your basic assumptions not apply equally to gays and lesbian engaging in legal…[Read more]

@ Robert @ Jake

The Israeli Defense Forces is admitting the truth even though Netanyahu and you guys won’t: Even killing every last civilian Palestinian to get rid of Hamas is an unachievable goal.

But let’s kill all the Palestinians in the  Gaza ghetto anyway, even if it’s just for the helluvit.

IDF spokesman says Hamas can’t be destroyed, dr…[Read more]