Comments on: Moral Realism -or- it’s a really light telescope http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:37:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jacob Wintersmith http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/comment-page-1/#comment-92828 Jacob Wintersmith Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:50:51 +0000 http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/#comment-92828 Milo, Thad isn't tacitly assuming that there are no objective moral values; he <em>openly</em> arguing in favor of moral subjectivism. As a moral subjectivist myself, I would agree that "torture is morally wrong" but point out that my notion of <em>morally wrong</em> is quite different from the standard realist notion. (This is why moral subjectivism is sometimes referred to as a meta-ethical position. Of course, one's meta-ethical views do have a big impact on one's ethical views.) So, no, I don't think that there are any objective facts about morality. And unless you have a better idea about how to obtain knowledge of these supposed moral facts, they appear to be <em>completely</em> inaccessible. (The relationship between epistemology and ontology is a bit murky here. I would simply observe that real-but-inaccessible moral facts couldn't affect human behavior or in any way play the role that moral realists want them to play.) Milo, Thad isn’t tacitly assuming that there are no objective moral values; he openly arguing in favor of moral subjectivism.

As a moral subjectivist myself, I would agree that “torture is morally wrong” but point out that my notion of morally wrong is quite different from the standard realist notion. (This is why moral subjectivism is sometimes referred to as a meta-ethical position. Of course, one’s meta-ethical views do have a big impact on one’s ethical views.)

So, no, I don’t think that there are any objective facts about morality. And unless you have a better idea about how to obtain knowledge of these supposed moral facts, they appear to be completely inaccessible. (The relationship between epistemology and ontology is a bit murky here. I would simply observe that real-but-inaccessible moral facts couldn’t affect human behavior or in any way play the role that moral realists want them to play.)

]]> By: Milo http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/comment-page-1/#comment-92559 Milo Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:15:00 +0000 http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/#comment-92559 So you seem to hold the tacit assumption that there are no objective moral values. So the statement "The unwarranted gratuitous torture of young children is morally wrong," is not true or false? You don't think that maybe, there are some objective facts about morality? Perhaps they're just not readily accessible? So you seem to hold the tacit assumption that there are no objective moral values.

So the statement “The unwarranted gratuitous torture of young children is morally wrong,” is not true or false?

You don’t think that maybe, there are some objective facts about morality? Perhaps they’re just not readily accessible?

]]> By: Winter’s Haven » Thad Guy on Moral Realism http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/comment-page-1/#comment-67323 Winter’s Haven » Thad Guy on Moral Realism Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:27:36 +0000 http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/#comment-67323 [...] Thad Guy discusses objective morality, in his usual brilliantly succinct fashion. [...] [...] Thad Guy discusses objective morality, in his usual brilliantly succinct fashion. [...]

]]> By: Solanum Tuberosum http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/comment-page-1/#comment-62814 Solanum Tuberosum Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:09:11 +0000 http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/#comment-62814 Morals are anything that benefits the species as a whole. It's essentially what stops humans from being too self-concerned, and from killing millions of people for a penny. Morals are anything that benefits the species as a whole. It’s essentially what stops humans from being too self-concerned, and from killing millions of people for a penny.

]]> By: thad http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/comment-page-1/#comment-62419 thad Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:05:31 +0000 http://www.thadguy.com/comic/moral-realism/443/#comment-62419 Nope. I served this one straight up. I don't think there is a pun. I just thought it was funny that the guy was holding the huge telescope with one arm. :) Nope. I served this one straight up.
I don’t think there is a pun. I just thought it was funny that the guy was holding the huge telescope with one arm. :)

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