I like Jeff's use of the words "better" and "worse"; they seem to reflect
better what I was trying to say in my last post on this topic.
I have been mulling the ideas of "right" and "wrong" around in my head the
last few days and have come up with some other ways to look at them.
Perhaps too analytical for some, but my brain works this way sometimes.
When talking about universal right and wrong or subjective right and wrong,
it seems there are only a few possibilities:
1) Nothing is objectively, or universally, right or wrong.
2) Some things are objectively right and some things are objectively wrong
2A) Objective right and wrong can never be known.
2B) Objective right and wrong can each be known some of the time.
2C) Objective right and wrong is always known.
3) Everything is objectively right.
4) Everything is objectively wrong.
5) Nothing is subjectively right or wrong.
6) Some things are subjectively right and some things are subjectively wrong
6A) Subjective right and wrong can never be known.
6B) Subjective right and wrong can each be known some of the time.
6C) Subjective right and wrong is always known.
7) Everything is subjectively right.
8) Everything is subjectively wrong.
9) Nothing is subjectively or objectively right or wrong;
the words have no meaning.
10) Some things are subjectively right or wrong and some
things are objectively right or wrong.
10A) The difference can never be known.
10B) The difference can be known some of the time.
10C) The difference is always known.
1 and 5 lead to one of the others. 2A, 3, 4, 6A, 7, 8, 9 and 10A all
effectively make discussions of right and wrong meaningless, since we are
left with no choice or way to understand them. For right and wrong to have
any meaning would leave only the B's and C's, which might be worded more
simply as:
2B) We can come to know the distinction between objective right and wrong.
2C) We always know what is objectively right and wrong.
6B) We can come to know the distinctions between right and wrong for
ourselves.
6C) We always know what is right and wrong for ourselves.
10B) We can come to know the distinction between objective and subjective
right and wrong.
10C) We can always distinguish objective and subjective right and wrong.
These lead to thoughts about:
- Is it necessary to distinguish between right and wrong?
- How do we distinguish right from wrong, if it is necessary to do so?
- Does "right" mean we should do it and "wrong" mean we shouldn't?
- Do we always do what we know to be right?
The idea if subjective right and wrong also leads to thoughts about:
- Is right and wrong meaningful on an individual level?
- Is it useful / meaningful to discuss our ideas of right and wrong with
each other?
- Is right and wrong always individualistic or can groups have common
definitions?
And:
- Aren't these more than enough to ponder over the weekend? : )
Eric Storm
