Re: Objectivity [was Re: Re: [Israel.pm] Is University Really Necessary?]

On Thursday 19 April 2007, Nadav Har'El wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 19, 2007, Shlomi Fish wrote about "Re: Objectivity [was Re: 
[hackers-il] Re: [Israel.pm] Is University Really Necessary?]":
> > On Friday 30 March 2007, Arik Baratz wrote:
> > > On 30 Mar 2007 00:39:48 -0700, Shlomi Fish <shlomif-ik1l9ssToec+JF/[email protected]> wrote:
> > > > The meaning of moral in Neo-Tech is simple and direct: Whatever is
> > > > consciously done to help fill human biological needs is good and
> > > > moral (e.g., the productive actions of honest people). Whatever is
> > > > consciously done to harm or prevent the filling of human biological
> > > > needs is bad and immoral (e.g., the destructive actions of mystics
> > > > and neocheaters).
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > As you can see it's even a scientific definition. In this context
> > > > "evil" == "bad".
> > >
> > > Bah. This definition sucks. Neo-Tech might think it's okay and you
> > > might agree. I don't. It's using subjective terms in a "scientific"
> > > definition. Nope, I don't buy it.
> >
> > Why?
> >
> > Show me the Proof!!!
> >
> > The burden of proof is on you.
>
> There are several problems with this definition, and I'll mention one
> below, but I have to admit it's not very fair that I "disprove" a
> definition based on your very short and probably not entirely accurate
> explanation of it - I didn't like it when you did that to Kant and
> Kirkegaard after my explanations, and I probably shouldn't be doing this to
> Neo-Tech. I have to admit that I never read anything about "Neo-Tech"
> except what you said on this list.
>

OK.

> I think Arik's point was, though, that there's nothing "scientific" about
> this definition. What makes this definition more "scientific" than a dozen
> other definitions of ethics? For example, how is this definition of ethics
> based on intention, better than a definition based on actual consequences
> (aka "utilitarian" ethics)?
>
> Anyway, the biggest flaw I see with this definition is that it relies on
> a person's intentions, which are very subjective, rather than the actual
> consequences of his actions, which is more objective (because everyone
> sees the consequences of an action, but only the person knows his
> intentions). The problem is that except in the extreme case of psychopaths
> (who are unable to understand the concept of other human beings having
> their own lives and wishes), most "bad" actions are somehow justified in
> the eyes of its doer.

Actually no. Most evil people are well-aware that their actions are 
destructive. They never admit it, but they know it. When Mao killed 60 
million of his own people, it was not for survival.

In any case, there are several ways to look at this definition. One way is to 
say that the intention is irrelevant, and that any action that ends up as 
fullfilling human biological needs is good and moral, while any action that 
ends up detracting from human biological needs is bad and immoral.

>
> If you asked a white slave-owner whether he's conciously harming his negro
> slave's biological needs, he would say no: he would say that he took care
> of their basic needs (minimal amount of food, clothing, shelter, etc.) and
> would claim (wrongly of course, but he thought this was true) that negros
> are so privitive that left to their own devices they would be far worse
> off. He would add that furthermore, without the slaves the slave-owners
> would go bankrupt and starve, so that it is *freeing* the slaves which is
> immoral because it would bring "biological" harm to the slave-owners.
>
> A second problem, possibly in your short explanation and not in neo-tech
> itself, is the definition of "biological needs". What are these, and why
> discuss them and not the "wishes" or "will" of the person instead? A few
> obvious examples: a person has the biological need to have sex. 

I don't think so. A person has a biological desire to have sex, but it's not a 
need. A person can go on not having sex for decades on end.

> Does this 
> make resisting being raped an immoral act? 

No, because a person has a need for the completeness of his body. As such, he 
or she has a right to resist being raped.

> Is stealing food moral because a 
> person needs to eat? 

It depends. By stealing you detract from the food owned by the other. However, 
you might need to do that if you are being exploited (e.g: Robin Hood who 
stole from the exploiters and gave to the exploited.).

> Is selling real-estate for money an immoral act, 
> because people need to sleep somewhere and you're prevented them a place to
> sleep by charging money? 



> And what about people's non-biological needs, like 
> the need to be free, the need to be happy, the need not to be bored, etc. -
> is it moral to violate these needs? 

These all descend from the biological needs or otherwise are ammoral action. 
If I insulted a person by accident, and made him unhappy, then I may have 
caused him to be able to less focus on work, and thus detract from his 
biological needs. However, this action is not unethical, and as such should 
be legal:

http://www.neo-tech.com/neotech/advantages/advantage83.html

> For example, is it moral according to 
> your definition to keep a human in a large cage while catering for his
> biological needs (giving him food, water, air, sex, etc.)? 

Well, that in turn will cause other people to have to support this (benevolent 
I assume) person, instead of this person being able to support himself. So 
it's immoral.

> Can this 
> defintion explain why (or whether) it is moral to do this to a convict, but
> not to "ordinary" people?

Actually, according to Neo-Tech, prisons are not a good way of punishment, as 
it is a huge strain on society to maintain all the prisoners.

Regards,

	Shlomi Fish

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Shlomi Fish      shlomif-ik1l9ssToec+JF/[email protected]
Homepage:        http://www.shlomifish.org/

If it's not in my E-mail it doesn't happen. And if my E-mail is saying
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    -- An Israeli Linuxer


 
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