GDR writes:
Do you maintain then that the concept of treating others as you would like them to treat you is not a universal standard of morality?
Definitely not a
Universal standard of morality because of the small flaw that exists within the proposition. While I will agree that in most cases this idea is a wonderful thought that leads to moral behavior, you must think about the strange cases to see that it cannot be
Universal
For example:
"Susan is suicidal. She just wishes that somebody would shoot her and put her out of her misery. The principle of Do unto others says that she could permissibly go around shooting others, since she would not mind if somebody else shot her."
Obviously, this is an extreme example, but it shows where the problem lies. Think about people who enjoy pain, is it okay for them to then inflict pain on others?
Another great example:
"Jack’s sister Jill is claustrophobic. When playing around the house, Jack does not at all mind being forced into a dark and confined place — like a closet — and locked in. However, Jill goes into a state of total panic in this type of situation. Do unto others says that Jack, while playing around the house with Jill, can go ahead and lock Jill in the closet. He would not mind this happening to him, so he may do this to Jill."
See, even in such a small thing as being afraid of the dark there are differences in how each individual would react to it. Do unto others is a great rule of thumb, but it fails at being an absolute, or Universal, morality. Perhaps, if it were combined with the idea of "Do unto others as they would have done unto them" it may come closer because at least then the receiver of any action should enjoy it because it is what he or she wanted.
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The theory of evolution by cumulative natural selection is the only theory we know of that is in principle capable of explaining the existence of organized complexity. - Richard Dawkins
Creationists make it sound as though a 'theory' is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night. - Issac Asimov
If you removed all the arteries, veins, & capillaries from a person’s body, and tied them end-to-endthe person will die. - Neil Degrasse Tyson
What would Buddha do? Nothing! What does the Buddhist terrorist do? Goes into the middle of the street, takes the gas, *pfft*, Self-Barbecue. The Christian and the Muslim on either side are yelling, "What the Fuck are you doing?" The Buddhist says, "Making you deal with your shit. - Robin Williams
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