Truth and morality

[mnbvcxz87]

Consider the following. Concepts derived from language are not true. The only truth other than our existence, is our actions. Actions speak louder than words, and so the only moral truths are the actions leading from compassion, altruism and empathy.

Empathy, to feel for the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) and to therefore act in such a way as to ease their suffering and improve their wellbeing.

Altruism, to put the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) above your own, to act in such a way as to benefit them at a cost to yourself.

Compassion, to want for the positive wellbeing of others (animal and human equally) and so to act in such a way as to improve it for them. (In an extreme case this could be euthanasia).

Religion tells you treat others as you would have them treat you, so do that. Do that for animals and for humans. Do that for anything which can suffer. Act in their wellbeing above your own.

 

[Spherical Time]

I disagree.

 

[cerad]

I also disagree. I have worked too hard for my house to have it destroyed by termites.

 

[CSMR]

Consider the following. Concepts derived from language are not true. The only truth other than our existence, is our actions. Actions speak louder than words, and so the only moral truths are the actions leading from compassion, altruism and empathy.

Your post, formed as an assertion, assumes there is a cognitive aspect of truth. Accepting it will make your understanding true, it asserts.
While it is very useful to relate and unite the concepts of truth and morality, to do so by restricting truth and morality to the domain of non-cognitive actions is not the way to do it.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Consider the following. Concepts derived from language are not true. The only truth other than our existence, is our actions.

I've considered it. I have to conclude that, if you are right, then your concepts, which are derived from and expressed in language, are also not true.

Actions speak louder than words, and so the only moral truths are the actions leading from compassion, altruism and empathy.

I disagree.

Altruism, to put the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) above your own, to act in such a way as to benefit them at a cost to yourself.

This strikes me as immoral due to its self-destructiveness.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[quatona]

Consider the following. Concepts derived from language are not true.

But you also may want to consider that concepts are usually not derived from language, but that - actually vice versa - we try hard to express our concepts by translating them into words.

The only truth other than our existence, is our actions.

Doesn´t follow from the first statement.

Actions speak louder than words, and so the only moral truths are the actions leading from compassion, altruism and empathy.

I wouldn´t agree that loudness is the measuring stick for truth.
Neither do I agree that actions are moral truths.

You and I are currently discussing the rest of your OP in another thread already.

 

[Zaac]

Consider the following. Concepts derived from language are not true. The only truth other than our existence, is our actions. Actions speak louder than words, and so the only moral truths are the actions leading from compassion, altruism and empathy.

When you base truth in how someone "feels", you're opening up the door to subjectivity. Truth is not subjective.

Empathy, to feel for the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) and to therefore act in such a way as to ease their suffering and improve their wellbeing.

Altruism, to put the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) above your own, to act in such a way as to benefit them at a cost to yourself.


Compassion, to want for the positive wellbeing of others (animal and human equally) and so to act in such a way as to improve it for them. (In an extreme case this could be euthanasia).

Religion tells you treat others as you would have them treat you, so do that. Do that for animals and for humans. Do that for anything which can suffer. Act in their wellbeing above your own.

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While these sound nice, it is in no way absolute, and is resultantly a very bad premise for dictating what is/is not truth.

 

[Skaloop]

Altruism, to put the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) above your own, to act in such a way as to benefit them at a cost to yourself.

Altruism does not necessarily incur a cost on oneself; acting to benefit others is not always detrimental. In fact, the evolutionary basis of altrusim is that it is actually beneficial to both parties.

 

[elman]

Consider the following. Concepts derived from language are not true. The only truth other than our existence, is our actions. Actions speak louder than words, and so the only moral truths are the actions leading from compassion, altruism and empathy.

Empathy, to feel for the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) and to therefore act in such a way as to ease their suffering and improve their wellbeing.

Altruism, to put the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) above your own, to act in such a way as to benefit them at a cost to yourself.

Compassion, to want for the positive wellbeing of others (animal and human equally) and so to act in such a way as to improve it for them. (In an extreme case this could be euthanasia).

Religion tells you treat others as you would have them treat you, so do that. Do that for animals and for humans. Do that for anything which can suffer. Act in their wellbeing above your own.

It is not required that we consider the suffering of animals as equal to the suffering of humans to be empathethic and comappsionate.

 

[The_Horses_Boy]

Consider the following. Concepts derived from language are not true. The only truth other than our existence, is our actions. Actions speak louder than words, and so the only moral truths are the actions leading from compassion, altruism and empathy.

Empathy, to feel for the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) and to therefore act in such a way as to ease their suffering and improve their wellbeing.

Altruism, to put the wellbeing of others (animals and human equally) above your own, to act in such a way as to benefit them at a cost to yourself.

Compassion, to want for the positive wellbeing of others (animal and human equally) and so to act in such a way as to improve it for them. (In an extreme case this could be euthanasia).

Religion tells you treat others as you would have them treat you, so do that. Do that for animals and for humans. Do that for anything which can suffer. Act in their wellbeing above your own.

From the bold, I must find that there is no truth in this post.

 

[mnbvcxz87]

I

t is not required that we consider the suffering of animals as equal to the suffering of humans to be empathethic and comappsionate.

It is. They are our brethren, every animal and human is your family and treat them as such.

 

[elman]

I


It is. They are our brethren, every animal and human is your family and treat them as such.

I am not for mistreating animals, but they are not the same as humans. Are you a vegitarian?

 

[mnbvcxz87]

I eat a vegan diet. Every creature is in the family of life, as much your parents as an elephant or beetle.

 

[Skaloop]

I eat a vegan diet. Every creature is in the family of life, as much your parents as an elephant or beetle.

You are aware of how many animals are killed during the harvest of wheat (among other things), right? Unless you are growing and harvesting your own food without the use of pesticides or machinery, your eating contributes to the death of animals.

 

[mnbvcxz87]

Why stop there? Humans are killed by snakes when harvesting rice.

Becuase this happens doesn't mean we cant do the best that we can. We kill ants when we walk around so let us never do anything.

We can do so much good, and have enough respect for those we could save not to say that we shouldn't because some creatures will die whatever we do.

 

[Skaloop]

Why stop there? Humans are killed by snakes when harvesting rice.

Becuase this happens doesn't mean we cant do the best that we can. We kill ants when we walk around so let us never do anything.

We can do so much good, and have enough respect for those we could save not to say that we shouldn't because some creatures will die whatever we do.

Would you purposely cause the death of your closest loved ones? Or would you take necessary steps to avoid it doing so? I'd bet on the latter. Yet you seem unwilling to take steps to prevent the deaths of other animals, despite your claims that all are equal. If growing your own vegetables would save your mother's life, would you do it? Do you do it now to save the lives of insects?

 

[mnbvcxz87]

My closest loved ones are every creature. There are many alternatives to conventional agriculture we haven't discovered yet. This is what we should use science for, to explore ways of creating food for us and animals which doesn't involve explicit killing of animals, ie current agriculture.

 

[TheBellman]

My closest loved ones are every creature. There are many alternatives to conventional agriculture we haven't discovered yet. This is what we should use science for, to explore ways of creating food for us and animals which doesn't involve explicit killing of animals, ie current agriculture.

There are no such ways. Death - and suffering - is a natural and intrinsic part of existence. It cannot be stopped.

 

[mnbvcxz87]

There are no such ways. Death - and suffering - is a natural and intrinsic part of existence. It cannot be stopped.

Maybe so but science has never tried.

To an extent yes because we all die, and have nerves, but imposing suffering on other animals isn't an instrinsic part of existence.

 

[TheBellman]

Maybe so but science has never tried.

To an extent yes because we all die, and have nerves, but imposing suffering on other animals isn't an instrinsic part of existence.

Yes, it is, sorry. This has been discussed elsewhere. Unless you plan to make all animals (a) tame/domesticated and (b) vegetarians, suffering is inevitable.

And neither (a) nor (b) is possible.