Inuzuka Skysword

I never ever said I supported the Iraq war if that is what you are referring to. Most of these wars like the Vietnam War, Filipino-American War, etc. are all stupid and were a waste of time and men.

I think the American Revolution was just. It was an act of self-defense. While the British weren't attacking us and such, they did infringe on our right to life, and the government that ruled over us was leading us to destruction. War was rational.

It is a bad example because you are asking me to defend wars I completely disagree with in the first place. I never said that the present war was just. I just criticized our tactics.

There is no defined right or wrong if there is no goal. What would be considered right or wrong in this situation?

And what do you base your ethics on?

No, it isn't. That is why I was criticizing the popular philosophies of this time aka. post-modernism where you are to sacrifice your life for your fellow man, where humans are viewed as the dust of the earth, and etc.

One can feel happy following religion if he wants to, but the question is whether he is truly happy. I bold "he" because it comes down to the issue of identity. Do you feel happier when you are yourself or when you act not on your own principles, but the principles of others? Do you even have a self? If one looks at the present, one would say that one is not chained to his past actions and "the self" does not exist. However, when he dies his whole life becomes the past and that is when "the self" can be realized and a character accurately formed. While man lives in the present he can only experience the chemical function of happiness. When man looks to the past he can realize who he can form the most accurate picture of his character and that is when he defines himself as truly happy or not. This comes down to what I underlined, "truly happy." Of course, I could post another paragraph about this and I will if you please, but I will spare my effort for something that I find we might have common ground on.

Why? I mean, you saying it is depressing is not really refuting my point because I see no reasoning behind that statement.

No, I am not saying that at all. In fact, I find it to be quite the opposite. I realize that what really is, is the self. I realize that my life means something to myself. Your way of pursuing truth at the cost of the self is Nietzschian and we know what happened to him. He sacrificed his existence to the world. While you might say that he found some truth, I would say that he did not since he denied the first truth, the self.

The question comes down to whether man is to serve philosophy or philosophy to serve man. I cherish my existence and I will not sacrifice it.

When I mean beyond I mean that was is not part of "the self" is part of the objective reality. It was meant to be obvious.

Morality is based on reason. People will derive different moralities, but because there is an objective morality one will always be better. The idea is to find the best. We may not find it, but at least find the best you can find because it leads to more happiness.

I don't support subjective morality because there is always a "right" way to do something.

I will quote what you said:
When you say "what I gain from reality" you are concerned with your own interests first. That is selfishness. Then you go on to say that these selfish motives of yours are more important than anything you can get from your selfish goals (aka. selfish motives).

The Unfan

I wouldn't know because I actually have goals, however, that doesn't mean that someone without goals can't have morality.

What is good for society based on known information. Typically of the social variety.


What if someone derives happiness from defeatism? What if veiwing others as more important than yourself gives you a sense of humbleness which makes you happy?

But what is good to identify with? This seems like nothing more than opinion, and saying that everyone has the ability to identify with thatever they want and it doesn't matter is bordering on a nihilistic thought process. On the other hand saying there is an objectively good thing to identify with is outright opressive. This statement alone makes it sound like you're saying it is objectively bad to feel connected to religion or religious figures while saying it is subjectively acceptable. Which is it?

It seems like a confusingly misinformed philosophy.

THIS. You seem to be so anti-nihilism yet this is exactly what nihilism is. You're saying that objectivity revolves around subjectivity derived from self awareness, and that since nothing is more important than self that self is the best thing to edify. You, your opinions, and your goals are the basis of your world view, and anything that is against those things is obviously bad. For the nihilist it is about their subjective experience of a subjective world where they then formulate subjective opinions of what is happening. The only difference is that you have a large enough ego to call it objective.

and then Uh-huh. I follow.
What evidence is there of being an objective morality? If morality is derived from reason and reason changes from person to person than morality has to be subjective. Oh wait, you have proof? Let's check this out.
But different people get happiness from different things. If someone gets happiness from immorality this would prove you completely wrong.

I wouldn't say that I am 100% selfless.

But I think I do view this the opposite way that you do. I view reality as important because it affects everyone. Not just me. If we were capable of existing in our own seperate realities outside of each other than I would probably have an entirely different world view.

Akira

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bungalow

And the Vietnam war is not a bad example, considering the circumstances are more or less identical and even George Bush has admitted as such. Way to sidestep the larger point, though.

sleepy jack

I don't know what's going on but Ron Paul has no heart, only a Rand-shaped stone that pumps blood.

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anticipation

'sup ethan.

sleepy jack

nm u

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anticipation

maxin and relaxin, you know. how was cali livin?

sleepy jack

It was pretty rad, I think I'm moving out there come the winter.

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anticipation

that sounds great, even if it will drive us further apart when I move to vermont next year

what area are you looking at?