Is there a system of ethics that is absolute. Who made this standard? If you say that there do not exist absolutes.... can you say that with absolute certainty?
2007-04-10 13:46:18 · 18 answers · asked by jonnytipatorul 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
so you are saying that situation or society defines absolutes.... so a society of cannibals who murder and eat outsiders, we cannot say that their behavior is innapropriate huh? interesting....
2007-04-10 13:59:22 · update #1
what logic do people use who say that absolutaly there cannot exist absolutes?
2007-04-10 14:01:49 · update #2
So if I come to your house and smack you in the head and take the keys to your car and your dog sparky, then it would be innacurate for you to say that what I did was "wrong"
2007-04-10 14:04:09 · update #3
There is absolute truth and through that comes morality. Jesus is truth so i guess you could say He set the standard.
Yes, I am absolutly sure.
2007-04-10 13:53:48 · answer #1 · answered by Rixie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say that there is no absolute system of ethics but if there were as there are in some cultures i would say religion had made these standards. The world is too diverse for there to be one set of absolute ethics.
2007-04-10 13:51:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe absolute morality does exist, but I don't think any human being on earth has the right to define it, especially not through religion.
When we are born as kids, we probably have a better sense of absolute morality because we are not tainted with societies judgements of people/groups/cultures.
As we get older we develop a false sense of judgment through parental upbringing, society, religion, etc.
2007-04-10 13:50:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can fly 10 hours in many direction and find a multiplicity of changes in accepted moralities. Therefore, unless you stay in a micro-environment you will find no absolute of morality or ethics.
There is one absolute. All humans live and die without ever truly witnessing anything absolute.
2007-04-10 13:55:33 · answer #4 · answered by Terry 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. it will never be just and fair.
A few standard morality puzzles:
* is it ok to steal a loaf of bread if you are starving?
* is it ok to steal money to save a dying friend if you know you won't be caught and it won't be missed?
The Prisoner's dilemma a type of morality-economic question where there the answers are gray.
You balance self-interest against working together.
you are locked in a room with a switch. your friend is locked in another room in the same situation. you are told if you flick the switch within 60 minutes you live and your friend dies. if neither of you flick your switches there is a 20% of you both dying, 80% of you both living. What do you do?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma
--
*killing in self defense? absolute pacifists would rather die.
as to assaulting and carjacking you... maybe he doesn't speak English and needs your car and dog to save a dying boy.
morality can be quantified (in dollars, years in jail, probation, even death) and weighed, balanced, compared. that's what courts, laws and insurance companies do. And the rules do change as moral standards and associated values change.
2007-04-10 13:58:24 · answer #5 · answered by d c 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course absolutes exist. Gravity is an absolute. The fact that we all will die someday is an absolute. Absolute morality is another matter, I'm sure that my idea of morality is different than yours and the next persons will be different than both of ours. So, in short absolute morality cannot exist.
2007-04-10 13:54:36 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolute, bull
The standard gets made as needed to suit whomever, whenever.
Can't say anything with absolute certainly. We live in a world of relativity.
2007-04-10 13:51:00 · answer #7 · answered by ♣Hey jude♣ 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm afraid that absolute morality is trumped by situational morality. For instance, apparently it was ok when Muhammad married a 9 year old girl. Such morals are not valid today.
2007-04-10 13:49:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think Plato said there was absolutes of morality, but he fudged his explanation a bit.
Religious people would say God dictates morality and his word is final
2007-04-10 14:00:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think, yes.
Buddhism does a good job describing it, and on what grounds.
Generally if good states increase & bad states decrease on account of an action, it's ethical. If the reverse is true, it's not.
The welfare of oneself, others, or both oneself & others should increase.
N'est-ce pas?
For further details, you'd have to approach a Buddhist. :-)
2007-04-10 13:56:55 · answer #10 · answered by goodfella 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋