Hi all For an idea of what a non SOM science that considers values might look like see:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knowledge-Wisdom-Revolution-Science-Humanities/dp/0955224004/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201644699&sr=1-1 or http://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Wisdom-Revolution-Science-Humanities/dp/0955224004/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201644766&sr=1-1 David M > Hi Steve, > >> Steve: >> >> The most clear statement of where Sam Harris stands on ethics my be >> >> this: >> >> "A rational approach to ethics becomes possible once we realize that >> >> questions of right and wrong are really questions about the happiness >> >> and >> >> suffering of sentient creatures." >> >> Platt: >> > A clear statement alright, but arrogant beyond belief -- as if he, >> > Sam Harris, >> > knows what constitutes happiness and suffering. >> >> Steve: >> He could be wrong about what questions of right and wrong are really >> about, but I don't see how his statement is arrogant. >> >> He never said that he knows what leads to happiness or suffering >> better than anyone else. In fact, he says that we need to study that >> scientifically instead of having a religion based ethics concerned >> with imaginary crimes like idolatry, sodomy, and drug use which he >> says are as imaginary as debts without creditors. > > Study happiness and suffering scientifically? I have no idea what that > means, but it has a Orwellian flavor. After all, Pirsig makes the point > repeatedly that the trouble with science is that it ethically it has > nothing to offer. "From the perspective of a subject-object science, the > world is a completely purposeless, valueless place. There is no point in > anything. Nothing is right and nothing is wrong. Everything just > functions, > like machinery. There is nothing morally wrong with being lazy, nothing > morally wrong with lying, with theft, with suicide, with murder, with > genocide. There is nothing morally wrong because there are no morals, just > functions." (Lila, 22) Again, it's arrogant to think science can devise > ethical guides. > > Regards, > Platt > . > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
