Are There Any Restrictions On...
ChatterBank1 min ago
Morality Subjective / Objective?
136 Answers
What underpins your personal morality?
Is it objective or subjective?
Is it objective or subjective?
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by Theland. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
I would say it is subjective. It's broadly based on the golden rule of 'do unto others as you would wish they do unto you.' I certainly wouldn't go against my innate sense of right and wrong behaviour because of some claimed authority written in a book. There are many books written and they often disagree. The only way to choose is to follow my instincts.
Woof, I'm not sure what more I can say. What doesn't make sense to you?
Taking the bible as an example, it is full of contradictory advice (or commands) about what god wants us to do and how we should behave. They can't all be taken literally, so we have to choose which of them we will accept; in order to choose we exercise our own sense of right and wrong. So our sense of morality seems to be innate and subjective, rather than resulting from acceptance of authority.
Taking the bible as an example, it is full of contradictory advice (or commands) about what god wants us to do and how we should behave. They can't all be taken literally, so we have to choose which of them we will accept; in order to choose we exercise our own sense of right and wrong. So our sense of morality seems to be innate and subjective, rather than resulting from acceptance of authority.
I'm not sure I really agree with the link, ellie.
//For example, if it was objectively true that lying is always immoral, and telling the truth is always moral, then all the people who sought to hide Jews from the Germans during WWII acted immorally whenever they lied to German authorities as to the whereabouts of any Jews the Germans sought. Clearly, however, we would understand it to have been immoral for people to give up the locations of Jewish families in hiding if those people were, in fact, trying to hide and protect those Jewish families. So it cannot be true that it is objectively immoral to lie.//
That is a subjective view in itself, and also assumes German soldiers were behaving morally.
//For example, if it was objectively true that lying is always immoral, and telling the truth is always moral, then all the people who sought to hide Jews from the Germans during WWII acted immorally whenever they lied to German authorities as to the whereabouts of any Jews the Germans sought. Clearly, however, we would understand it to have been immoral for people to give up the locations of Jewish families in hiding if those people were, in fact, trying to hide and protect those Jewish families. So it cannot be true that it is objectively immoral to lie.//
That is a subjective view in itself, and also assumes German soldiers were behaving morally.
Peter, the so-called terrorists are obeying what they believe to be objective morals set out in their holy book. If they were not brought up to believe old written authority they would probably be content with killing only those who directly challenge their food/water/women supplies. I'm afraid that being free from belief in a personal boss god I find it obvious that all the written authority comes from men and is therefore not something to be obeyed without question. Many people kill, but only some kind of religion makes people kill while feeling virtuous at the same time.
The implication of TL's presumed view is that he has no sense of personal morality and without the guidance of his favourite writings he would behave really badly. I suspect that he does have personal morals but he is too modest to accept that. Mind you, some of his views and recommendations on people who don't agree with him are a bit worrying.
I don't do these deep discussions but how can anyone determine if what underpins their thoughts is objective or subjective? Even if you think they're objective you're not aware of what subjective events have subconsciously influenced you?
My morality has been underpinned by a mix of upbringing, experiences and the psyche I was born with.
My morality has been underpinned by a mix of upbringing, experiences and the psyche I was born with.
“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
― Friedrich Nietzsche
