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Prior to Ethical Relativism

 
 
Reply Sun 29 Jan, 2012 03:15 am
How do we avoid the anarchism of relativism in ethics.
How also do we avoid the irrational authoritarianism of a 'God' whose word is true or virtuous simply because it is 'his' will.
Is freedom merely freedom from tyranny?
If we are 'free' what choice is there - if not between anarchism and altruism.
Did not Jesus of Nazareth advocate altruism rather than blind obedience.
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JLNobody
 
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Reply Sun 29 Jan, 2012 04:46 pm
@RW Standing,
The "relativism" of ethics has to do with the fact that morals, values, and ethics are rooted in complex and flexible ways with cultures. They emerge in the contexts of these cultures rather than in the vacuums or theologies of absolutism.
BTW, ethical and moral relativism may have to do with NIHILISM, the absence of absolutism, but not ANARCHISM, which has to do with the absence of governmentally inspired and enforced order. I would hate to think that ethical behavior could only exist under the pressure of government.
Procrustes
 
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Reply Mon 30 Jan, 2012 06:47 am
@JLNobody,
As time goes on, moral reformation in cultures is shaped by the people themselves. It becomes a monistic relative exercise in concience voting that permeates the collective concsiousness of the culture. The internet does aid in this dialogue quite a bit I would think. However, people need to have their own sense of a moral compass and not what is just being fed to them. I think that is important to.
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RW Standing
 
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Reply Sun 5 Feb, 2012 12:18 am
@JLNobody,
Nihilism may well be a useful term in place of Anarchism, or consonant with it as an end value. The point is not a simple plus and negative side to ethics-politics. An altruistic, or socially responsible society, stands opoosed both to Nihilism or Relativism, and to Tyranny [ under any consonant name]. Three opposing end values in a triangular universe, keeping it as simple as possible, and avoiding the traditional dualism between 'good' and 'evil'.
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RW Standing
 
  1  
Reply Fri 10 Feb, 2012 08:18 am
@RW Standing,
It might be added. Chaos is obviuously not Anarchism. Chaos in an anti-value denoting the destruction of society, and is opposed to the social end values of altruism etc.
Altruism and Anarchism share a value of liberty or freedom. Altruism and Tyranny or the Authoritarian State, share the value of Responsibility either personal or the law.
Tyranny and Anarchism share the value of Egotism whether of the state or of individuals
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RW Standing
 
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Reply Sat 11 Feb, 2012 02:29 am
@RW Standing,
It may also be added as seemingly evident that many values are consonant with each other. As with Freedom of people or societies and Equality of the same. Freedom cannot be truly achieved without equality. And they both are required by societies that are either Altruist or Anarchist in general form.
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