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Nicholas Lukowiak

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There exist objective moral truths

I do believe there exist objective moral truths, such as, "a person being punished for something they did not do is wrong."

But, there exist counter arguments and positions which believe there are no objective moral truths, because ethical knowledge is usually subjective or relative which means they cannot be consider objective. Such as non-cognitivism and emotivism

Obviously the process to figure out what is objectively moral would be a difficult one, but can it be done? Consensually, empirically?

Are there objective moral truths? What are they?!?!

Topics: Objectivism emotivism ethics moral truths morality non-cognitivism
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Closing Statement from Nicholas Lukowiak

Dear future interested reader,

IF there is anything to take from this closed debate, it is the fact one must define their terms and defend them in order to be 'right'. This creates monumental problems when debating with other people. So, try to stick with the most recognizable or common context of terms.

As far as being 'objective' I propose there is no way around being first subjective. While many believe since we are automatically subjective, we can never not be subjective. I see much error in this way of thinking, but appreciate the challenge of figuring out why. I believe in process/procedure in alignment with all of the universe. There is nothing that exist without evolving... Change in decay, [re]production, or [re]acting... Therefore, to assume there exist an 'objective truth' and then believing we can never know the exact nature of such... Seems counter-intuitive and only productive in a form of absurdity. The sciences are very successful building off of what is considered objective;by means of community, consistency and consensus.

Morality is individual. Ethics is the subject of morality. A moral decision is a personal one, not a communal thing. Although communities can dictate an individual's morals... The moral is still the individuals'.

I believe there are objective moral truths.

No one can make an argument genocide is proper or punishing an innocent is amazing! These thoughts are innately wrong for a reason... We are naturally endowed with wanting to seek social acceptance, and that involves questioning what we accept with how others treat us socially. If you, yourself, do not enjoy being harmed, what makes you think another would? What human doesn't want the basic needs of life?

What made people not want to accept my position is the immediate condition of the world... Well, the world, cultures, work in giant cultural cycles... Figuring them out helps.

Keywords: Prosocial selection and evolutionary psychology

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  • Andy Hood

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    Dec 26 2012: No, I can't see any way that a moral can be anything but subjective.
    Your example is not necessarily universal in everybody's eyes.
    Consider the teacher getting a painful stone in the back of the head while writing on the board, asking "who threw that?" and getting no answer. In the interests of maintaining discipline which will be better for all the kids in the long run he might hold the whole class behind for detention. Is this morally wrong? Certainly many kids will feel hard done by... but you could argue that it's the right action nonetheless.
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      Nicholas Lukowiak 50+

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      Dec 27 2012: A 'stone' in the back of the head, wow. If I saw a kid do that I would point him/her out, and if I didn't, I feel the class would gain their proper retaliation... This example deals more with ethical systems - the conversation at hand is personal morality. Are their traits and qualities that overlap among individuals would prove consistently required morally? Absolutely. Here in this example, the class would require the group dynamic of to inspire for secrecy - in order to not be an outcast, everyone must be quiet.. So, upon knowing this dynamic of no one pointing fingers, it is justifiable for a teacher to punish the whole class (a very mild punishment, at that). Indeed, everyone is not guilty, per say, but everyone is preventing the guilty party from being pinpointed and thus all responsible. It's like when a corporation does a crime, who do you blame? The group or the group leaders? Can you prove it was a group mentality or not? No matter, the results will no longer be individual, but group-orientated. Morals are the concern of the individuals, indeed subjective, but there exist morals that exist in all of us.

      It is hard to pinpoint when a choice is objectively good or bad in response to an action or actions... But, your example does not suggest there is no obj. moral truths, but that finding them is difficult in some situations. There are social-dilemmas with morals, but none that disregard morals as being objective, but instead fuzzy or foggy to establish illumination.

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