Dan Minette wrote:
> Do you know of a theology which treats fairies and
unicorns in this type of
> fashion?
>
Haven't there been theologies based on multiple deities for
far longer than monotheism has existed. Whether the deities
were unicorns and fairies or nyads and dryads, or inanimate
things like the sun and the moon - the details don't really
matter. Didn't the believers in those religions consider
their gods to be transcendent?
>
> Do you really believe that ethics are simply an arbitrary
> cultural construct...that might makes right?
>
I believe that life has created a system of ethics that
best allows for its continued survival. I'm not sure that
that makes them arbitrary. Neither am I sure if that means
I believe might makes right. I guess it depends on how you
define might. If might includes the ability to understand
that operating within given societal norms will help to
preserve and increase said might, then I might believe it.
But if it means that an entity can force it's will upon
society by dictating what those norms should be, then no I
don't believe it. In other words, I'm not sure its possible
to convince people that genocide is OK no matter how
successful you are at it, because the ethics that have been
violated have evolved with us from the beginning of life on
earth (but IMO did not exist beforehand.) I suppose that
means that I think that under different circumstances, a
system that approves of genocide could have evolved, but it
doesn't seem (from my culturally biased point of view) as if
it would be a very successful strategy.
Maybe, given a few billion years to experiment, I could
prove it... Hmmm. 8^)
--
Doug
new email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.zo.com/~brighto
