tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4595253270791554701.post8017826113576986218..comments2023-10-31T09:50:07.091-06:00Comments on Marko Polo: Feuerbach and Ethics...Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07072259264111848667noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4595253270791554701.post-40812328317129435452007-10-08T10:08:00.000-06:002007-10-08T10:08:00.000-06:00I think it's more important to show the girl that ...I think it's more important to show the girl that the unicorns don't exist. What good is her happiness if it's built on falsehood? Even if these unicorns are her whole life, I feel that they are not the <B>sole</B> source of happiness in the world, and she's capable of finding meaning in other (hopefully more truthful) things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4595253270791554701.post-79287373790930435822007-10-06T11:52:00.000-06:002007-10-06T11:52:00.000-06:00Given the new thought experiment I say yes, you ar...Given the new thought experiment I say yes, you are ethically obligated to tell her. All of us are caught in some web of illusion which prevents us from having true happiness.<BR/><BR/>The happiness your hypothetical friend has is not lasting real happiness. While maybe it will really hurt your friend to hear your discoveries about the non-existence of purple unicorns, you can use skillful means to help her realize gently.<BR/><BR/>Part of me wants to cop out and say that if someone is behaving in a appropriate way which benefits the community it's okay...but I'm not so sure.lindseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01044417896921800172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4595253270791554701.post-54029394684855538582007-10-06T09:08:00.000-06:002007-10-06T09:08:00.000-06:00I'm not trying to presuppose anything about good o...I'm not trying to presuppose anything about good or bad, right or wrong. I don't really care whether the experiment is flawed or not. I just really want to know.<BR/><BR/>The point is to isolate a person who is "happy in ignorance." If you take away the foundation their happiness is built upon because you know they're wrong, is that ethical? Is living correctly better than living happily when the two conflict?Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07072259264111848667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4595253270791554701.post-74677787736379629342007-10-06T02:38:00.000-06:002007-10-06T02:38:00.000-06:00The problem I have with the thought experiment is ...The problem I have with the thought experiment is that it presupposes that any person who is "awake" to this reality is going to be miserable as a result. It also seems like there's a connotation that the atheist can do no good in the world.<BR/><BR/>The second essay on this page:<BR/>http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/dawkins3.htm<BR/>is written by Richard Dawkins, and describes a type of atheism that I had never considered until a few years ago. It's not impossible to conceive of a world where a person is capable of happiness without God.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4595253270791554701.post-47543176341673705882007-10-06T00:10:00.000-06:002007-10-06T00:10:00.000-06:00You are a nerd. Not only do you like thinking abo...You are a nerd. Not only do you like thinking about this sort of thing, but you just called writing a paper "fun". Oh wait. I do the exact same thing. I'm a nerd too! ;-)<BR/><BR/>I think your thought experiment is a little flawed. The existence of God isn't really provable so there is no "right" and "wrong" and ethics don't really apply. No?lindseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01044417896921800172noreply@blogger.com