I was having a discussion in the Coffee House when anastasia and I started discussing a topic I think deserves it's own thread. We stopped talking about whether or not bestiality is okay, and started discussing whether or not personal freedom was "the greatest goal" of morality.
I propose that morality is nothing more than a code of conduct for interaction between humans. And therefore, it's goal should be to protect as much freedom for all individuals as possible.
From:
Message 164
anastasia writes:
Anyone can see that complete freedom is not possible, and therefore freedom itself is not the greatest goal of morality. The greatest goal is in determining which actions we should be free to choose. If you use 'freedom' as both the ideal and the rational measuring stick, you get into these kinds of messes where you know you are contradicting yourself.
I agree that complete freedom is not possible. But it does not follow that freedom cannot be the greatest goal of morality. Maximizing freedom is the greatest goal of morality. Since everyone's desires are subjective, the most rational choice is to treat them with equal value. Therefore:
Everyone should be treated equally with respect to their freedom to pursue happiness.
Basically, "let's play fair".
If a man chooses to rape a woman, and I choose to stop that man. I agree that I am restricting that man's freedom. However, I am still keeping "maximizing freedom" at the top of my priority list because I am stopping the man from restricting the woman's freedom.
Since you keep repeating yourself in ever regressing circles, I will ask you one more time to step out of your little box and realize that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness CAN NOT determine in totality which actions are legal, licit, moral, etc.
There is no regression, and no circle. There is a box, however, and that box is agreeing to maximize freedoms and to respect people's different desire's equally.
That is, the
only time someone's freedom should be restricted, is if that person is already engaged in actions that are restricting other people's freedom's. Regardless of anyone's personal desires on the subject.
Example 1:
I personally hate rape.
A man raping a woman has decided to restrict that woman's freedom.
The man is forcing the woman to have sex.
Therefore it is okay to stop that man and restrict his freedom to rape the woman.
Example 2:
I personally hate racing stripes.
A man painting racing stripes down his car does not restrict anyone's freedom.
Therefore it is wrong to stop that man and restrict his freedom to paint racing stripes down his car.
Even though racing stripes are weird and funny-looking.
I haven't proposed a new topic in a while, tips or corrections are welcome.
I think this should go into Social Issues and Creation/Evolution forum? Although it doesn't really touch on Creation/Evolution... maybe Coffee House? Or maybe I even jumped the gun and missed a topic where this is already covered.
™ Version 4.2