I found the discussion at the end particularly fascinating.
If I understood correctly (and maybe I'm butchering this to fit my own beliefs), I agree with the point Damir alluded to in the end about a God-based international system of values. I think the idea forces everyone to acknowledge that values are not based in some objective realit…
I found the discussion at the end particularly fascinating.
If I understood correctly (and maybe I'm butchering this to fit my own beliefs), I agree with the point Damir alluded to in the end about a God-based international system of values. I think the idea forces everyone to acknowledge that values are not based in some objective reality: we choose to believe in human (/animal/AI/ etc.) dignity; this doesn't follow somehow from our science or our reason. We differ on the details of this (which human lives we value more, how these measure up to animal lives or artificial consciousness, etc). A God-given system of morality forces everyone to appeal to a common, externalized, textual source (as vague as this is, given that there are many different religions and different interpretations of those religions, but we at least have some basis for argumentation). Absent that, those in power need to justify their values and not hide behind some vague idea of universal morality, which easily deteriorates into "might is right" moralizing.
I found the discussion at the end particularly fascinating.
If I understood correctly (and maybe I'm butchering this to fit my own beliefs), I agree with the point Damir alluded to in the end about a God-based international system of values. I think the idea forces everyone to acknowledge that values are not based in some objective reality: we choose to believe in human (/animal/AI/ etc.) dignity; this doesn't follow somehow from our science or our reason. We differ on the details of this (which human lives we value more, how these measure up to animal lives or artificial consciousness, etc). A God-given system of morality forces everyone to appeal to a common, externalized, textual source (as vague as this is, given that there are many different religions and different interpretations of those religions, but we at least have some basis for argumentation). Absent that, those in power need to justify their values and not hide behind some vague idea of universal morality, which easily deteriorates into "might is right" moralizing.
I think that's exactly right.