On Aug 19, 11:17 pm, "Giu1i0 Pri5c0" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Question: why do you _want_
> to think that there are objective values?
> G.
Here's my answer:
I want to to think that there are objective values because I dislike
the idea that important aspects of our (human) existence are
inexplicable. And make no mistake, without objective values, aspects
of the human condition *would* be simply inexplicable. Here's the
argument, by analogy with physics:
*Consider a physical object in state A.
*Consider the transition of that object to state B.
Question: What explains why the object transitioned from state A to
state B?
Assumption: The transition must be explicable.
Conclusion: There exists objective physical laws which explain why
there was a transition from state A to state B.
--
Now consider sentient agent motivations (and remember the analogy with
the physics argument I gave above).
*Consider an agent with a set of motivations A
*Consider the transition of that agent to a different set of
motivations B (ie the agent changes its mind about something)
Question: Why did agent A transition from motivation set A to
motivation set B?
Assumption: The transition must be explicable
Conclusion: There must exist objective 'laws of value' which explain
why there was a transition from state A to state B.
And that argument (greatly fleshed out of course) basically proves
that that such objective principles exist, given only the assumption
that reality is explicable.
As I explained, I don't regard ethical rules or goals *per se* as
objective. They are human constructs. But at a deeper level of
abstraction, there have to be general principles which explain such
things as values.
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