What are your small scale and large scale ethics?
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I live in the best country in the world by default. Not because it's especially great in any regard, but because it backslid slower than all the neighboring nations. And the ones overseas.
There sure as hell isn't any such thing as a best country in the world.
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There sure as hell isn't any such thing as a best country in the world.
That's why I added "by default".
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I would primarily describe my view as Virtue ethics, but...
- I believe that cultivating virtues is necessary to be able to take responsibility for your choices etc: existentialism - and this is what I aim to do
- I definitely consider that prioritising the natural environment is essential - at the large and small scale
- In areas where I am aware that I am not sufficiently developed, I will adopt a deontological approach as a fallback
- I would certainly consider the promotion of equality and the development of local community as virtuous, although not to the exclusion of individual autonomy or rights - within that community or without.
On the larger scale, I seek to promote the development of individual virtues and equality within society but, acknowledging that this is always likely to be an aspiration rather than a achieved state then, again, I would look to a deontological approach as a fallback.
I am deeply suspicious of utilitarian arguments in most circumstances, simply through experience of those who tend to promote them. Both egoism and libertarianism seem short-sighted to me.
I very much agree with your view and to defend utilitarianism a bit here - contemporary utilitarianiasm is more nuanced than people think. The way I see it, utilitarianism encapsulates the virtue of justice in the sense of "what is the most just way to steer this big ship we're all on"?
While traditional utilitarians would measure only clearly apparent outcomes like "we're all mostly white so it would be inefficient to protect minorities" contemporary utilitarians include invisible outcomes like emotions and need for statistical diversity i.e. "living in single race world would be unjust and lack of statistical diversity hedging" and "psychological pain of few oppressed minorities would outweigh net value of more simple single race society".
The reason why I like it because it's highly plastic, the utilitarian calculation entirely depends on the medium it's performed in and can quickly self correct given change like new technology or scientific discovery.
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All right, nerd. You want to learn something? I'll teach you something. I'm gonna teach you the meaning of life. How do you like them apples?
Now, over the last 2,500 years, Western philosophers have formed three main theories on how to live an ethical life.
Now, first off, there's virtue ethics. Aristotle believed that there were certain virtues of mind and character, like courage or generosity, and you should try to develop yourself in accordance with those virtues.
Next, there's consequentialism. The basis for judgment about whether something is right or wrong stems from the consequences of that action. How much utility, or good, did it accomplish versus how much pain, or bad.
And finally, there's deontology, the school of thought that there are strict rules and duties that everyone must adhere to in a functioning society. Being ethical is simply identifying and obeying those duties and following those rules.
But here's the thing, my little chili babies, all three of those theories are hot, stinky cat dookie. The true meaning of life, the actual ethical system that you should all follow is nihilism. The world is empty. There is no point to anything, and you're just gonna die.
fair point
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If this isn't a weird copypasta, I struggle to understand what it is. Nah I'm good on nihilism.
Nihilism is actually much more interesting than DeathByBigSad implies here (jokingly or not) and I recommend this very cool video by Kurzgesagt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBRqu0YOH14
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If this isn't a weird copypasta, I struggle to understand what it is. Nah I'm good on nihilism.
Ya basic!
( Its The Good Place lol, you need to watch it
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There sure as hell isn't any such thing as a best country in the world.
Laconian Empire
Best country in the world! (the only country in the world)
