tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post6279630313656782136..comments2023-06-19T04:35:06.263-07:00Comments on Skeptic's Play: Sam Harris goes for objective moralitymillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05990852054891771988noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-6578340366159291912015-03-16T15:17:34.862-07:002015-03-16T15:17:34.862-07:00That would be the first case I referred to, where ...That would be the first case I referred to, where Hitler and I agreed on enough moral precepts that I could in principle persuade him by arguing purely on facts.<br /><br />(I'm not sure I agree with you on the moral consequences of a hypothetically inferior race, but that's not relevant here.)millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05990852054891771988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-19873712928913358282014-03-03T03:37:26.720-08:002014-03-03T03:37:26.720-08:00There is a third possible cause of disagreement in...There is a third possible cause of disagreement in arguing with Hitler. Hitler may have based the Holocaust on ideas that were factually incorrect. Suppose there was an inferior race of people whose genes were so destructive as to undermine the rest of society. An argument could be made for their extermination. The actuality is that there was and is no such race. Hitler's error was as much unscientific as it was immoral.millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05990852054891771988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-8684598220380473982012-09-02T09:37:35.150-07:002012-09-02T09:37:35.150-07:00if objective means mind-independent then god's...if objective means mind-independent then god's morality is just as subjective as man's morality (unless god does not have a mind)<br /><br />there's also a problem of how would we know that 'objective' god's morality independently of human mind - because all god's morals comes from men (or through men).adutishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17400392528726997568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-80416027763678152202011-12-20T18:10:43.658-08:002011-12-20T18:10:43.658-08:00Part of the idea behind science is that anyone can...Part of the idea behind science is that anyone can look at the evidence and come to the same conclusion. I mean, theoretically, in some hopelessly idealized world. I do not believe this is the case with morality.<br /><br />I'm not sure I understand the point about Hitler <i>proving</i> objective morality? What exactly is the inference being made?millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05990852054891771988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-89062993405034435882011-12-20T18:04:04.737-08:002011-12-20T18:04:04.737-08:00Keith, if you're going to sound like a tight-a...Keith, if you're going to sound like a tight-assed pedant, you might want to avoid making an obvious fallacy of affirmation of the consequent.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-67308919077459105942011-12-20T17:45:27.206-08:002011-12-20T17:45:27.206-08:00In the end of your post you are confusing beliefs ...In the end of your post you are confusing beliefs and interpretation with objectivity. The two are completely separate. Let me illustrate:<br /><br />1)The Earth is roughly spherical and travels around the sun.<br />2)All people in the 5th century interpreted nature as a flat earth and the sun revolving around the Earth.<br />3)Therefore, the interpretation of 5th century people is irrelevant; the Earth is still roughly spherical and travels around the sun. Even if no one alive knows that the Earth revolves around the sun, the Earth still revolves around the Sun.<br /><br />A person or group of people do not have to accept the truth of an objective reality in order for the reality to be objectively true. In fact-- that's the whole point of objective truth. People won't accept is, but it's still true. So your point about Hitler not accepting the Holocaust as evil only proves objective moral values exist.Keith Pattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06747953790339399032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-8247840686227536402010-05-05T16:04:43.603-07:002010-05-05T16:04:43.603-07:00If you're not making two mistakes a day, you&#...If you're not making two mistakes a day, you're not learning fast enough.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-23181943877581595642010-05-05T15:23:45.752-07:002010-05-05T15:23:45.752-07:00Weird, this whole time I've been using "a...Weird, this whole time I've been using "apocryphal" to mean "of questionable authority", when it really means "of questionable authenticity". Embarrassing!millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05990852054891771988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9124539381685751273.post-28860258827881681452010-05-05T15:02:23.447-07:002010-05-05T15:02:23.447-07:00"But rather than continuing my apocryphal ran..."But rather than continuing my apocryphal rant on metaethics..."<br /><br />I do not think "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apocryphal" rel="nofollow">apocryphal</a>" means what you think it means. ;)<br /><br />"I'm not sure when I last agreed with Sam Harris on any major point."<br /><br />I think Harris is an atheist, so he's got that going for him. Other than that, I think he's kind of a doofus.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.com