What are your moral opinions/views?

Haunted Water

DEFT Lunar
Member
So I got to thinking after two users drove me to near banning them over the weekend on a different forum. I thought about morals, and how they impact everybody's life. It didn't occur to me how much morals affect opinions until I did a quick YouTube surf last night, and I was overwhelmed by the results and what I saw.
So what are your morals? Do you feel like morals are very helpful to people? Or do you feel like morals may be a weak excuse?
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

Since everyone has different morals, it depends on the situation and person about whether it is helpful, or not. It also depends on the point of view, it can be helpful for some, and hindering for others. This is a bit broad. :p Maybe a specific example could help? What was the video about for example?
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

I'm with Drohn, everyone has different morals. Due to this fact, there really can't be a person who is without morals or immoral. There can be a person whose morals are the opposite to, or just don't coincide with your own, but not a person without a set of morals/values/beliefs. Having a specific moral can be situationally beneficial or detrimental depending on both the point of view and, of course, circumstance.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

"An ye harm none, do what ye will."

Also a pretty big believer in the golden rule.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

I agree with what Drohn said.

However, it can also depend on where you were raised.

Such as if you were raised in WWII Germany in a household that supported Adolph Hitler you might agree with the Nazi parties motives. This could be an excuse for someone being someone who dislikes the someone of the Judaism Faith.

But a bad case of, I guess it could be morals, or maybe it is just what they truly believe, could be the people who generalize everyone in one faith as one sexuality. Such as the Church of Illumination. They claim that all Atheists are Homosexual. This is completely false, I have an Atheist friend who is the most Heterosexual person I know.

I probably gave some bad examples, but these are what I thought of first.

So all in all, your morals could be affected by your upbringing, or it could be affected by an organization.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

be-cool-dont-be-an-asshole.jpg

That's the gist of it. My morals are derived from human empathy and the ability to put myself in someone else's shoes.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

"Do unto others what you would want them to do unto you."

Pretty much my morality is based around this.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

Tsoliades said:
My morals are derived from human empathy and the ability to put myself in someone else's shoes.

I was going to make a long-winded post detailing my morals but you've just summed up exactly what they are. Thanks, man.

On the subject of morality itself, I find it extremely fascinating, even though normally I'm put off by abstract subjects. The mystery of how exactly you define it and what it entails intrigues me. It seems to be somewhat derived from survival-of-the-herd instincts, since a lot of morals revolve around things concerning the welfare of others, and women and children are the most protected under typical moral views (biologically they are the most important for the survival of a tribe. Sort of an obsolete mentality now, but still expressed in our genes and behavior).
But also not! Many people would argue that the morally right thing to do is to treat everyone from every country equally, even though suspicion of outsider groups is our natural tendency. So that doesn't quite fit. But then, where does it come from? And when we make the conscious decision to change our morals, what is the natural basis for the justification of doing so?

Many attribute morality to a particular religion and/or religious text, which I don't personally believe. When I was a Christian, I read the Bible and found that there were parts I embraced completely (thou shall not kill, let he who is without sin cast the first stone, etc.), and parts that I accepted, but with a lot of unease (the killing of all the firstborns in Egypt, Lot's wife being turned to salt for just looking over her shoulder...). I realized that if I had internal standards to judge a book of morals by, then that must mean I already had the morals in me, and that the book was technically not necessary.
I'm not meaning to bash any religion in particular (Christianity was my example because it's most familiar to me) or religion as a whole, but I believe that's something to think about.

Did any of that make sense? I think I may have lost even myself. I also lied when I said I wouldn't make a long-winded post.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

Well then.

Anybody who knows me then I think we ALL know where I stand on morals and respect.
tumblr_llz0ibePsL1qii6tmo1_500.gif
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?


I simply do not believe in morality, as quoted here:

Wikipedia said:
Moral nihilism (also known as ethical nihilism) is the meta-ethical view that nothing is intrinsically moral or immoral. For example, a moral nihilist would say that killing someone, for whatever reason, is neither inherently right nor inherently wrong. Moral nihilists consider morality to be constructed, a complex set of rules and recommendations that may give a psychological, social, or economical advantage to its adherents, but is otherwise without universal or even relative truth in any sense.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

Dustin DeVine said:

I simply do not believe in morality, as quoted here:
-quote snip-

Morality is almost certainly a human construct, albeit one that likely stems from natural instinctive behaviors and predispositions, but that does not make it irrelevant or unimportant. Your quoted definition of moral nihilism mentions universal and relative truth, but truth itself can easily be argued as being nothing more than an idea. Does that make it unimportant?
You could theorize all day about what's just constructs of human thought and society, but at the end of the day, morality has its inescapable and binding place in the real world. Kinda like money :U
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

Frezgle said:
Dustin DeVine said:

I simply do not believe in morality, as quoted here:
-quote snip-

Morality is almost certainly a human construct, albeit one that likely stems from natural instinctive behaviors and predispositions, but that does not make it irrelevant or unimportant. Your quoted definition of moral nihilism mentions universal and relative truth, but truth itself can easily be argued as being nothing more than an idea. Does that make it unimportant?
You could theorize all day about what's just constructs of human thought and society, but at the end of the day, morality has its inescapable and binding place in the real world. Kinda like money :U

Your posts make you one of my favorite members, madam.

No, truth, as I see it, does not exist, either. Both morality and truth are what each individual perceives them as. Remember, I am not an average person by any means...

I believe location greatly influences morality, too. Say for instance I am a Zimbabwean adult, who has never been experienced to Western "morality." I kill anything when it comes to survival, including humans, if necessary. Do I perceive this as wrong? Of course not; I am just trying to survive, while in Western culture, killing is frowned upon.

As I see it, right and wrong do not exist. If they do, please, define being morally wrong and being morally right, in a universal sense.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

Dustin DeVine said:
As I see it, right and wrong do not exist. If they do, please, define being morally wrong and being morally right, in a universal sense.

They don't. I agree that morality is subjective, and that the idea of concrete objective rules such as those described in many religious teachings can't exist. Lots of those are good guidelines and many are even largely consistent with each other, but they also all have their respective cultural backgrounds. Either one's right or none of them's right, and I'm fairly sure it's the latter.
Anyways, my point was just that subjective or not, they are relevant and each of us has them (or we at least go by some loose idea of morality, for example; I know you have strong convictions about fighting for the rights of LGBT individuals), and it might even be worth something to study where our sense of "right" and "wrong" come from. Your initial post just kind of seemed dismissive, sort of like if the topic was cake and you chimed in with "Cake's made of flour."
Well... yes, it is, but it might be more worth something to say what kinds of cake you like and whether or not the addition of frosting is an improvement. I dunno. Dumb analogy, but that's how I do things!
I hope there's not a nihilist page on cake as well >n>
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

Morality, truth, and lies can only be judged by the situation morally. I believe morals do exist, but they differ because of many different factors. Right or wrong depends on the situation in which an action is taken.
 
RE: What are you moral opinions/views?

It'd be cool if people would elaborate on any moral views they have that they consider unusual and "out there".
 
Oh, you want elaboration? I'll give you elaboration.

1- morality is always a human construct, whether it comes from religion or personal beliefs.
2- morality itself can't be good or bad. That would be a circular reasoning, using morality to classify morality.

So, up until this point, It would be pretty easy to classify myself as an ethical nihilist, right? BUT

3- according to 2, morality is, therefore, a vacuum, an emptiness. Does it exist? only if we want it to exist.

Do we want morality to exist? yes. why? because we are not alone, and chaos is not an option, moral nihilism is a very valid choice, but I feel it's a very dangerous one, too, If there is no morality, then, what is stopping you from killing the guy in the ferrari and riding that baby to the sunset?
Is it Law?
Is it conscience?
If we have free will (spiritually, philosophically) and freedom (legally), the only thing we should answer to is ourselves; and, again, if morality doesn't matter to you, what's stopping you?
That's what's dangerous, not the message that all, including morality, is relative, but the interpretation that morality is null, because if you do kill the ferrari guy, you are imposing your non-morality over his morality (he hasn't kill you, after all... yet...).

I think Kant's categorical imperative gives a pretty straightforward answer to the morality question:

"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law"

In layman's terms, That phrase is to ethics what (e^i*PI)+1=0 is to the universe. A beautiful and elegant way of expressing the mind-bending complexity of a subject most of us wouldn't fully understand in several lifetimes in a phrase that can fit into a T-shirt.

And before someone says "oh, wise and incredibly cute professorlight, why should we want morality to exist when the alternative is getting consequence free wanton slaughter?"
I say: pragmatism. As enticing wanton slaughter is, in any case, in any scenario, you will be the next to die (yes, you, I'm watching you. Stop touching yourself. gross.) that's where the categorical imperative really shines, "if you don't want to die, don't kill", "if you value your property, don't steal" according to it, everyone is equal, and if someone kills, then he can be killed, if someone doesn't care about the others, the others won't care about him. (I just shed a tear, this is too beautiful.).

Is there a way to avoid morality entirely? why yes, there is. Be like an animal; they are not subjected to any kind of moral restrictions (they can kill an innocent creature as easily as they breastfeed their young, smell each other's asses, etc), but then don't complain when the other, sane people shoot you in the head.
Nietzche talked about the "man not subjected to morality". This "superman", as he called it (not to be confused with THE superman copyright by DC comics) was in a superior state of existance, outside of all moral and societal restrictions. Sounds suspiciously like a ethical nihilist, right? WRONG. Nietzche's superman (nanana,nanananana, nanananana, nananana nananaaaaaaaaaa, nanananaaaaa... sorry) was also the epitome of excellence, in everything, and it would stand to reason that, while we inferior beings would have no business standing in his way and he would be justified in squishing us like the bugs we are, he wouldn't have any problems with another superman, being both perfectly reasonable beings, capable of mutual understanding, therefore, turning morality unnecessary.

So back to the begining: Is there a way to avoid morality entirely?
yes. be an animal and suffer the consequences, or try your best to be a superman and get some g******* perspective on understanding others.

*drops the mic*
 
Oh, you want elaboration? I'll give you elaboration.

1- morality is always a human construct, whether it comes from religion or personal beliefs.
2- morality itself can't be good or bad. That would be a circular reasoning, using morality to classify morality.

So, up until this point, It would be pretty easy to classify myself as an ethical nihilist, right? BUT

3- according to 2, morality is, therefore, a vacuum, an emptiness. Does it exists? only if we want it to exist.

Do we want morality to exist? yes. why? because we are not alone, and chaos is not an option, moral nihilism is a very valid choice, but I feel it's a very dangerous one, too, If there is no morality, then, what is stopping you from killing the guy in the ferrari and riding that baby to the sunset?
Is it Law?
Is it conscience?
If we have free will (spiritually, philosophically) and freedom (legally), the only thing we should answer to is ourselves; and, again, if morality doesn't matter to you, what's stopping you?
That's what's dangerous, not the message that all, including morality, is relative, but the interpretation that morality is null, because if you do kill the ferrari guy, you are imposing your non-morality over his morality (he hasn't kill you, after all... yet...).

I think Kant's categorical imperative gives a pretty straightforward answer to the morality question:

"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law"

In layman's terms, That phrase is to ethics what (e^i*PI)=1 is to the universe. A beautiful and elegant way of expressing the mind-bending complexity of a subject most of us wouldn't fully understand in several lifetimes in a phrase that can fit into a T-shirt.

And before someone says "oh, wise and incredibly cute professorlight, why should we want morality to exist when the alternative is getting consequence free wanton slaughter?"
I say: pragmatism. As enticing wanton slaughter is, in any case, in any scenario, you will be the next to die (yes, you, I'm watching you. Stop touching yourself. gross.) that's where the categorical imperative really shines, "if you don't want to die, don't kill", "if you value your property, don't steal" according to it, everyone is equal, and if someone kills, then he can be killed, if someone doesn't care about the others, the others won't care about him. (I just shed a tear, this is too beautiful.).

Is there a way to avoid morality entirely? why yes, there is. Be like an animal; they are not subjected to any kind of moral restrictions (they can kill an innocent creature as easily as they breastfeed their young, smell each other's asses, etc), but then don't complain when the other, sane people shoot you in the head.
Nietzche talked about the "man not subjected to morality". This "superman", as he called it (not to be confused with THE superman copyright by DC comics) was in a superior state of existance, outside of all moral and societal restrictions. Sounds suspiciously like a ethical nihilist, right? WRONG. Nietzche's superman (nanana,nanananana, nanananana, nananana nananaaaaaaaaaa, nanananaaaaa... sorry) was also the epitome of excellence, in everything, and it would stand to reason that, while we inferior beings would have no business standing in his way and he would be justified in squishing us like the bugs we are, he wouldn't have any problems with another superman, being both perfectly reasonable beings, capable of mutual understanding, therefore, turning morality unnecessary.

So back to the begining: Is there a way to avoid morality entirely?
yes. be an animal and suffer the consequences, or try your best to be a superman and get some g******* perspective on understanding others.

*drops the mic*
 
Lets say if there was a person who was left in the jungle to survive would it be moral or would it be instinct to survive at all cost. So that like saying all human being are evil, its more of the perception of the eyes of the beholder, if some places that people have to kill to survive is that evil, to some yes to some no, sorry if i confused you but this is a very broad topic, and morality exists and works where you are, That is what i believe

If i confuse you I am sorry, I am not that very great at explaining things out.
 
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