Brett

I think you’re right about the points you make. I think mainstream culture is actually consumerism, or vice versa. Ultimately only the public can mana...

Well even if it was it isn’t now. I don’t believe you would be able to kill a stranger in cold blood, if you did, even in another culture you would be...

Okay, let’s define, or agree somehow, on what we mean by ‘the future’. To me it’s the absolute unknown, it doesn’t exist. And yes, for me, the univers...

Thanks. It’s always nice to know that you’re making sense after all.

Try it.

What merits would a three year old child have?

I feel that I might not have made by post clear enough. Taking the life of a murderer or rapist is fine with you. That’s because you regard their crim...

What would you regard as ‘merit’?

Those people you accept having their lives taken are people who have attacked the sanctity of life. Their death is commensurate with their crime. So i...

Yes, if I had a good reason. Self defence for example. But still, your answer suggests that you need a very good reason for doing it. Edit: and intere...

But we do ascribe some idea of sanctity to life and the taking of it is regarded as the worst crime a human can commit. Why?

But you would not knowingly take a life?

:up:

Welcome to the future.

Oops. That is not related to any post. I just messed up some editing of my following post.

The sacredness of life; the assault to your senses when a child dies or is killed, compared to the elderly. What is that?

Did you chose Manson after considered thought, or was it just a quick choice? Because he obviously presents problems for people because his situation ...

I think where we clash here is in the idea that we can consciously shape and plan for the future, whereas I don’t think we can because the future is u...

You don’t need to make many choices to pass on your genetic material, but your choices might determine the nature of its future. See my comments to Th...

Of course I plan for the future. However I might make a plan for going from Australia to New York, book flights, hotels, anticipate the weather and ch...

Yes, I’m aware it’s a metaphor and I disagree with the concept it represents.

You cannot make the right or efficient choices for a future you do not know, and the choices you do make are very minor in the scheme of things, and w...

So, the evidence of our self awareness, our quest for truth, is also evidence of the universe seeking the same, recognising and choosing order over ch...

Second thought: and, if I am correct (of course I think I am), then what exactly and what value is the ‘self-awareness’?

But I doubt we can know the best course to take, despite our self awareness. Possibly, but not necessarily so. What if we didn’t reverse climate chang...

I don’t know if I accept the idea of “the selfish gene”. So on that basis the human Free Will has even less presence or effect over what’s ‘best’. And...

I think it was a combination of laziness and impatience. It’s not like I can’t put together an OP, because I have in the past. In my mind there was a ...

Actually, I might have just clarified one of my doubts. Regarding my example of climate change I am quite aware of the choice. I just don’t know which...

:up: p

I’m just not sure that’s true. Wouldn’t it be the case that it’s only true if we had somehow stepped out of the condition of evolution as it applies t...

I wish I could come up with a line like that.

I don’t see ‘choice’ being a factor, nor do I even see it as a fact in evolution. And if there’s no choice then there’s no proof of free will. Not tha...

I usually regard your posts as quite reasonable. Possibly I over reacted there. Throwing so many questions at me in one post didn’t seem like an attem...

I think that’s quite reasonable. But ... for me it’s the beginning of an investigation, if you like, into a topic that’s of interest to me. I don’t kn...

Can you give me a bit more clarification for future use?

I’ve never been called that before. Thank you so much for the new and unexpected experience.

First of all my example is not an investor. They’re the owner of a business. This is the definition of an investor: An investor is any person or other...

Is it actually a truth that the most efficient survive? I don’t know how we can really know that without knowing what the alternative might have been....

I’m not trying to defeat you but point out what I regard as the obstacle that’s in the way. How do we get around this? Do we reduce consumption before...

It’s always fun to be flippant. Why brand all business men as those who declare bankruptcy and move on? What about the person who built the house, bor...

Excuse me while I wipe away the hubris.

More of it than those who have a lot? More nonsense. The basic cost of living is the same for everyone. The rich are able to spend more than that. Wha...

This is such rubbish. It’s true, as you say, that more business fail than succeed, but that’s generally about small business. They fail because the ow...

Yes, and because of that many were able to enter the computer age without having to pay for the top end. Business is quite a savage arena. Most of us ...

But the quote suggests that government favours business over people, that it betrays people in the interests of big business, that it serves big busin...

Presumably these odds your talking about are more than just your opinion. If you’re talking about borrowing money just to get by then yes you’re likel...

Your smarter than that Bitter Creek, throwing in a quote from someone else as if that sums up the problem and answers it at the same time, and paraphr...

Consider this, using your scenario of buying a chair from the person you met and spoke to in buying a chair. Assume they become very popular because o...

I agree with everything you say. But what’s next in terms of creating a reduction in Commodity Fetishism, what’s the next step in terms of reducing th...

Yes. I think that’s where Sushi and I part ways.