Simon Paynton
@simonpaynton
Active 4 days, 23 hours ago-
Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 17th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 4 days, 22 hours ago
Following the verdict, the lawyer who headed the effort trumpeted his victory: “Freedom wins again,” he tweeted. But freedom to what? Freedom to suffer from preventable illnesses. Or to be hospitalized. Or to die. Or to transmit viruses to those who cannot be successfully vaccinated.
This is true. It’s the freedom to drown in bullshit. But freed…[Read more]
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 17th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 4 days, 23 hours ago
World of Woo: A study into ‘truth relativism’.
I think it’s really interesting.
People who believe the truth is subjective and individual are more likely to believe conspiracy theories, and to hold onto their conspiratorial beliefs even when faced with real-world evidence and facts that contradict their con…
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 6 days, 10 hours ago
As one might expect it is not required of a plaintiff to demonstrate the PARTICULAR harm resulting from the negligence, only that some harm of that nature might ensue.
In other words, that they were acting recklessly without due regard to the right thing to do.
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 6 days, 10 hours ago
No you cannot know what consequences are going to be. You can assume and/or predict but you cannot know. That is an essential motivation for taking deontological ethics seriously.
This is true. All we have are: 1) the (joint) goal; 2) tried and trusted methods designed to achieve it. So it is reasonable to rely on the methods, b…[Read more]
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 6 days, 21 hours ago
Narcissism is built on a moral system which asks things like How does this affect me? or Does doing this give my enemy an advantage?
I think narcissism is amoral – competitive – seeking “my” benefit – rather than moral – cooperative – seeking “our” benefit.
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 6 days, 23 hours ago
I think that all moral systems deal with actions and consequences.
We can’t know what consequences are going to be, so we can only act with goals in mind. Moral principles, right actions, are designed to bring about these goals (i.e., mutual benefit). So, they’re good in themselves.
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 1 week ago
If I am correct, then deontology and virtue ethics deal with the right (actions) while consequentialism deals with the good (desired consequences). Both are important in my opinion, and they’re not separate.
What makes a good ethical system? One that accurately reflects reality (nature), or one that can tell us what to do? Or both?
The et…[Read more]
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 1 week, 1 day ago
Deontological theories of ethics such as Kant’s never satisfied me. After all, humans are beings in a Natural Universe with Cause and Effect and are living beings whose acts have consequences and who act upon potential gains and harms to their own life and flourishing and that of others. It is ridiculous to insist that h…
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 1 week, 2 days ago
we should be concerned about acting rationally and in accordance with duty to moral principles.
Think about it: It also presupposes a preexisting moral sense.
Kant’s rational moral principles are his Categorical Imperatives. I think he presupposes desirable goals or goods.
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 1 week, 3 days ago
But according to Kant, moral decisions are rational based on the principle of universalisation. If this provides a world where the maxim is possible without the world breaking down in some way – it’s a good decision.
I think it’s intended that if universalisation leads to a contradiction, it’s a rational-morally false move.
However, I see what…[Read more]
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 1 week, 3 days ago
While Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative is a powerful and influential ethical framework, some critics have pointed out potential challenges and situations where its application can lead to what may seem like absurd or counterintuitive conclusions.
It’s an example of something that is logical but not accurate. It doesn’t ma…[Read more]
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic
Sunday School September 10th 2023 in the forum Sunday School 1 week, 4 days ago
Kant’s Categorical Imperative.
This is a good article explaining Kant’s Categorical Imperative for a beginner (like me).
When we are trying to decide what the morally right thing to do is, what should we take into account? Is it the consequences of the action that matter the most? Or, is it the intentions of the…
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic UK entertainment media. How much is how things really are? in the forum Small Talk 2 weeks, 1 day ago
But white folks with black adopted children?
I know a pair of adults with Nigerian heritage who were adopted by white parents. I don’t know how much it happens. There are a lot of mixed race children and adults around.
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic UK entertainment media. How much is how things really are? in the forum Small Talk 2 weeks, 1 day ago
How many white parents with black adopted children are you aware of in your daily life or even over your entire life experience so far, Simon? I don’t think I’ve ever seen such situations depicted on American shows and I’ve never experienced such situations in my personal life.
For one thing, America’s blacks generally disappr…
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic UK entertainment media. How much is how things really are? in the forum Small Talk 2 weeks, 1 day ago
One does see gay or lesbian couples in American TV, but far less often than on UK shows. Granted, I’m an outsider but to me it feels a bit forced.
You don’t think it’s political at all? People kind of forcing their aspirations on the viewing public? Liberal content creators infusing their work product with their closely-held polit…
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic UK entertainment media. How much is how things really are? in the forum Small Talk 2 weeks, 1 day ago
It would seem that if I took UK programming as reflective of the actual situation in the UK, interracial couples and white parents with black children are really commonplace, which is certainly not the case in the United States, at least in our middle class.
Also, Muslims are presented in everyday life situations much more so than…
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic Apple Watch? Get serious!!! in the forum Small Talk 1 month ago
If St. Christopher* was any good at his job you should never find any in a car wreck
lol
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Simon Paynton replied to the topic What were they thinking? in the forum Politics 1 month ago
This also comes to mind.
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Simon Paynton posted a new activity comment 1 month ago
Music is a great thing. -
Simon Paynton replied to the topic Life Extension and Health Extension in the forum Science 1 month ago
I’m definitely into living a more healthy life so that I can stay healthy for longer. On a BBC programme it said you should try and eat 30 plants (no matter how little of each) a week for a healthy gut biome. Since I’ve been trying to aim for this, I’ve had more energy, a better mood, and less pain in my bad shoulder. I suspect it is good fo…[Read more]
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