Mar 4 2013: AP's music is not my cup-o-tea, but after seeing this talk, and the sincerity in which it was given, I have to say I really like the woman. Her faith in people is so very refreshing.
Mar 3 2013: A Sethuramiah,
In my years on this Earth, I have modified my thinking many times on many subjects. You stated it very well. We need to be able to do this in order to grow and become.
Mar 3 2013: Chris,
There is a good article here:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Are-Babies-Born-Good-183837741.html
on studies that have been done about whether or not we are born good or bad. The results are interesting.
Mar 3 2013: Yes, by the word scriptures I am referring to the Bible. I was also referring to rape as being seen as evil in today’s society. Before Christ, rape was used as a means to dilute the blood of the conquered and while it was considered wrong by the vanquished, it was not considered evil. Therefore, rape cannot be viewed objectively in that context no more than it can be viewed objectively in today’s society.
I did a quick search and it seems that Deuteronomy and Judges was/is in the Old Testament. Did not Christ’s teaching say that violence against another was wrong? Rape is a violent act committed by one person against another. And is not a violent act considered evil? Once again, rape cannot be viewed objectively, any more than right or wrong.
Mar 2 2013: Scot,
You asked: "Why is rape objectively wrong? Don't misunderstand me, I can't think of a single instance where rape wouldn't be wrong. I believe very strongly that sexual abuse is one of the greatest evils in the world. Why is it evil?"
My knowledge of the scriptures is sketchy, but over the years I have formed opinions based on what I have seen or read, and believed to be true. In the modern sense, since Christ's birth, I believe rape was made "evil" in the fact it is a violent act performed by one person, upon another.
However, even before Christianity arose, rape was considered a great insult, as one race would use it as a means to dilute the blood of another race. This reason, to me, would appear to be why rape was wrong. But would that be considered objectively? I do not think so. Would it reconsidered evil? I do not think it would be considered evil in that era.
As for objective right and wrong, I feel it is encoded in our genes to be cooperative with others because it furthers our own personal goals of security and comfort. When humans began to cooperate, they did it because they saw "safety in numbers." The person(s) who were cooperative in this strategy were able to pass their genes along, unlike those who did not.
This is also considered to be selfish behavior. But if by selfish behavior we give birth to new ideas and innovations that help all of society, does that make this particular reason for cooperation wrong?
You say that without God, there is no such thing as right and wrong, only the things we call right and wrong, and it is all subjective. Is it even possible for humans to look at right and wrong objectively? Is it possible to look at any moral idea completely objectively?
I am new to TED, and so far I have read some very interesting posts which have given me much "food for thought."
Thank you.
Mar 2 2013: I had never thought about teaching social media until this question arose. Having thought about it and reading differing opinions here, I feel as you do. Social media is here to stay. Corporations are beginning to use a person's Facebook account as a measure of hiring or not hiring a person. This will also have an effect on careers in law enforcement, at all levels, and a person's military career could also be in jeopardy.
And, ethics in social media is definitely a must.
Feb 28 2013: In reading about tusks on the link I entered, the author also had this to say; Some likely reasons for the greater proportion of tuskless Asian elephants compared the African elephants may be due to strong selection in the past by humans killing the tusked male elephants and an gene in Asian elephants which is not as recessive.
Of course there is no telling how many generations this took.
Feb 28 2013: There is some information on elephant tusks at this link;
http://elephant.elehost.com/About_Elephants/Anatomy/Dentition/dentition.html
It explains that about a quarter of the tusk is inside of the elephant, so poachers would still have a large amount of ivory to harvest.
Education is the key. When people become educated they are more apt to understand the connectedness of all life. They begin to understand how everything they do has a ripple effect.
In the case of rising wealth in Asian countries and the hunger to show wealth, one needs to ask; Do the people who buy ivory even care about the elephants? Would they stop if they knew? Would the poacher stop if he had access to work that he could do to feed his family and gradually acquire the material things he is willing to risk his life for, now?
Perhaps eco-tourism? There is a growing trend of eco-tourism and some governments are cashing in on it. Once established, local people benefit greatly from it, and can become very possessive about "their" animals, thwarting poachers of animals and plants. It is a long road, but it can be done.
Unfortunately, as long as there are people willing to pay the price, elephants will be slaughtered for their ivory, tigers killed for their penises, (females are killed when the poacher cannot tell the difference) and rhinos will be killed for the so-called aphrodisiac effect of their horns.
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A comment on Talk: Amanda Palmer: The art of asking
A reply on Conversation: Do right and wrong exist?
In my years on this Earth, I have modified my thinking many times on many subjects. You stated it very well. We need to be able to do this in order to grow and become.
A reply on Conversation: Do right and wrong exist?
There is a good article here:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Are-Babies-Born-Good-183837741.html
on studies that have been done about whether or not we are born good or bad. The results are interesting.
A reply on Conversation: Do right and wrong exist?
I did a quick search and it seems that Deuteronomy and Judges was/is in the Old Testament. Did not Christ’s teaching say that violence against another was wrong? Rape is a violent act committed by one person against another. And is not a violent act considered evil? Once again, rape cannot be viewed objectively, any more than right or wrong.
A comment on Conversation: Do right and wrong exist?
You asked: "Why is rape objectively wrong? Don't misunderstand me, I can't think of a single instance where rape wouldn't be wrong. I believe very strongly that sexual abuse is one of the greatest evils in the world. Why is it evil?"
My knowledge of the scriptures is sketchy, but over the years I have formed opinions based on what I have seen or read, and believed to be true. In the modern sense, since Christ's birth, I believe rape was made "evil" in the fact it is a violent act performed by one person, upon another.
However, even before Christianity arose, rape was considered a great insult, as one race would use it as a means to dilute the blood of another race. This reason, to me, would appear to be why rape was wrong. But would that be considered objectively? I do not think so. Would it reconsidered evil? I do not think it would be considered evil in that era.
As for objective right and wrong, I feel it is encoded in our genes to be cooperative with others because it furthers our own personal goals of security and comfort. When humans began to cooperate, they did it because they saw "safety in numbers." The person(s) who were cooperative in this strategy were able to pass their genes along, unlike those who did not.
This is also considered to be selfish behavior. But if by selfish behavior we give birth to new ideas and innovations that help all of society, does that make this particular reason for cooperation wrong?
You say that without God, there is no such thing as right and wrong, only the things we call right and wrong, and it is all subjective. Is it even possible for humans to look at right and wrong objectively? Is it possible to look at any moral idea completely objectively?
I am new to TED, and so far I have read some very interesting posts which have given me much "food for thought."
Thank you.
A reply on Conversation: Should social media be taught in school?
And, ethics in social media is definitely a must.
A reply on Conversation: How do we save African elephants from extinction?
Of course there is no telling how many generations this took.
A comment on Conversation: How do we save African elephants from extinction?
http://elephant.elehost.com/About_Elephants/Anatomy/Dentition/dentition.html
It explains that about a quarter of the tusk is inside of the elephant, so poachers would still have a large amount of ivory to harvest.
Education is the key. When people become educated they are more apt to understand the connectedness of all life. They begin to understand how everything they do has a ripple effect.
In the case of rising wealth in Asian countries and the hunger to show wealth, one needs to ask; Do the people who buy ivory even care about the elephants? Would they stop if they knew? Would the poacher stop if he had access to work that he could do to feed his family and gradually acquire the material things he is willing to risk his life for, now?
Perhaps eco-tourism? There is a growing trend of eco-tourism and some governments are cashing in on it. Once established, local people benefit greatly from it, and can become very possessive about "their" animals, thwarting poachers of animals and plants. It is a long road, but it can be done.
Unfortunately, as long as there are people willing to pay the price, elephants will be slaughtered for their ivory, tigers killed for their penises, (females are killed when the poacher cannot tell the difference) and rhinos will be killed for the so-called aphrodisiac effect of their horns.