Allow me to insert my own ideas here on Janus' behalf (he is circling a point that I'm partial to). I think we both agree that there is necessarily a ...
My knee jerk reaction is that it is an unforgivable and unconstitutional act. The thinking is that relief funds for Puerto Rico and other disaster are...
Ladders, tunnels, boats, planes, and more are all readily available technologies, so even if a complete border wall was erected, immigrants would stil...
This should be a primary fear of anyone seeking out a philosophy forum. Maybe some of us are so afraid of this, we're unwilling/unable to stand the di...
This kind of shows the overall point I'm trying to make: there's no strategic panacea; no fool proof ideology. Not only has a mixture of both been mos...
If we focus only on the decision of whether or not to head out in different directions, there's really no way of stipulating what is best. I was hopin...
Free markets and centrally planned systems are somewhat handy ideology-laden real world examples that vaguely parallel the dilemma, but my real point ...
In many ways individual autonomy and central authority are incompatible. Free markets might require some central authority to support, stabilize, or i...
You don't see the similarity? Granted, the metaphor has nothing to do with property rights, taxation, or market regulation, but it's meant as a simpli...
I would try to break down the different truth requirements of moral propositions: If moral propositions imply actions, can we treat them from the pers...
Thanks! Naturally, you are right. I've overstated the case by ignoring the many other (often experimental) angles of approach to storytelling. Many sa...
The best way to get rid of beliefs is to expose them (to data, pressure, criticism, and tests, ideally). If a belief persists despite constant and con...
The late-great Christopher Hitchens took a very strongly worded position against religion and did his best to dissuade the world at large from taking ...
Writing whole books ain't easy (and if it is, you're not writing good books). I reckon non-fiction is much easier to write than fiction, but I'm guess...
Would you rather live a happy life that is devoid of external purpose/meaning (i.e: there's no grand plan), or, would you prefer to live a sad and mis...
The more capable we are of living without inflicting suffering on the innocent, the more we are morally obligated to do so. But what happens if we sho...
Newtonian mechanics were not overturned by general relativity, nor are they threatened by any possible quantum revelation (because it won't stop being...
Nope. Big bang cosmology says nothing about "beforehand", and it is likely the entirety of empirical science will never be capable of saying anything ...
What does atheism have to do with superstition? @"BrianW" In my view, atheism is mainly the rejection of superstition. There have always been atheists...
Survival isn't cut and dried. Security (required for long term survival) comes in shades of grey, and what's the point of endless survival if we aren'...
If our survival and continued existence was dependent on slaughtering the mentally handicapped then it would not be immoral to slaughter them. And I d...
My own needs are, to me, more important than your needs, even though were both human. Insofar as your human form allows you to reciprocate my behavior...
I'm not positive where we differ. I'm trying to say that a mere through-point or ideological bottleneck is both not wholly representative, and not who...
There are wayyy too many Mohammeds... Which one? :joke: This isn't rationally persuasive. You're telling humans to be compassionate because A: souls, ...
Whether we focus on the letters of Paul or defer to older writings, or oral traditions, there will usually be dilemmas of ambiguous meaning and questi...
This raises an ontic question: Is religious meaning what is inscribed (by authors), what is interpreted (by clergy), or what is believed (by parishion...
I think he was referring to a tangible afterlife. People in the old world firmly believed in the concept of an afterlife (so far as I can tell), and a...
Allow me to rephrase: the slaughter of animals has enabled and continues to enable humans to thrive, and contributes to the security of human existenc...
The meadow-hay or "ware" opening. Don't let my knowing the name of that opening move fool you; I'm a terrible chess player. I know the name of the mov...
Rape and torture not withstanding, "slaughter" serves useful purposes. Explain to me why the lion killing the gazelle is not abhorrent? There's no poi...
Molestation and the consumption of animals. You're not equivocating the definition of words, you're equivocating the moral implications of two unrelat...
There's a severe ethical fallacy there; equivocation. Human consumption (and killing) of animals exists on ranges of necessary to sport and humane to ...
It's true that we're not ultimately responsible for our own actions given we lack free will, but we are usually approximately or practically/pragmatic...
I don't think censoring pornography will directly harm our democracy, but it seems to be a shot across its bow from a general censorship direction. Ou...
IMO, if the democrats stopped playing identity politics they would win by a landslide. Hillary was telling us that one of her merits was that she is a...
I don't think it will lead anywhere positive directly, but indirectly it would be a message/signal showing accountability, and a widespread rebuke of ...
Unless Mueller has some seriously juicy stuff (as you say) he almost certainly won't be impeached... If he can be sufficiently embarrassed though - th...
Woah, hold your horses! Something so extreme would tear the U.S apart at the seams (it would make a martyr out of Trump for far right causes). Much be...
I don't want to get my hopes up, but surely Mueller is going to deliver something (else it probably would not have taken this long). I think our best ...
The article which supports your claim of 51% is extremely dubious. (read: written from a blatant and bias laden agenda) Here's how/why: Their first cl...
I mean, an oil rig or a gold mine cause more environmental damage pound for pound, there's just so many farms (and many of them cutting corners). Wher...
Indeed. I am addressing you as if I was addressing an actual anti-natalist, but I'm aware you're simply looking for refutations. Simulating dialogue w...
My argument was that if most people are thankful for it, then in most individual cases, it's not immoral. I don't recognize the validity of deontologi...
I fail to see how conceiving a child is akin to theft. If you're merely equating conception with any and every moral transgression, you've got no cohe...
It's not like kidnapping at all. "Enjoys their captivity" isn't a coherent justification for kidnapping. Although, If the kidnapping is done to preven...
Most people want to keep living. Most people (even those in relatively worse circumstances) seem to enjoy life. Creating a new human will indeed entai...
Comments