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Autonomous
MysteriousStranger
Registered: 05/10/02
Posts: 901
Loc: U.S.S.A.
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Fundamental Principle(s)
#1790362 - 08/07/03 09:34 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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I'd like to hear from those who claim to have morals. What fundamental principle (or principles) is your morality based on? How do you resolve or justify a conflict between one principle and another or between your desire for a certain outcome and your stated fundamental principle(s)?
-------------------- "In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination." -- Mark Twain
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Autonomous]
#1790398 - 08/07/03 09:48 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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I have only one moral, I guess, that could be called a fundamental moral and from which I derive all moral thought. It is: don't hurt things. I guess it would derive from my principle that all conscious life is deserving to continue that life. I try and stay away from any principles which could contradict any principles I currently hold to be True, so there are no cases of conflict between this and any other of my principles. If I find, at some point, that me "desire" towards a certain outcome is in violation of my moral or it's derivatives, I take a good long look at why I would desire such a contradiction of my personal principles. Usually I realize the error in my thoughts, and the desire is gone.
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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DoctorJ
Registered: 06/30/03
Posts: 8,846
Loc: space
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: trendal]
#1790551 - 08/07/03 10:36 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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i simply believe that my fate is connected to the fate of the entire planet as long as I am karmically obligated to it (ie- incarnated here)
any negativity directed towards my environment is basically negativity directed towards myself, and thus, not very intelligent behavior.
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tak
geo's henchman
Registered: 11/20/00
Posts: 3,776
Loc: nowhereland
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: trendal]
#1790556 - 08/07/03 10:37 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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Although, im #1 in my book, I try to see things as not that way. If it came down to life or death, i would like to think I am humble enough to offer myself, but i dunno. As far as other things, if i can make a diffrence helping someone else out without harming anyone else, its a plan. If I can eat soy and not have to kill an animal, i will. If i can eat without having to rob a liquor store, i will.
dunno if that means anything, or answers the question but thats what i felt like writing
-------------------- The DJ's took pills to stay awake and play for seven days.
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GernBlanston
unintended sideeffect
Registered: 05/28/03
Posts: 842
Loc: OR
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: tak]
#1791755 - 08/08/03 10:33 AM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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I don't think it's quite so easy to define your morals in an absolute fashion, nor to describe the process by which you come up with them.
I feel that I'm an extremely moral person. I strive to do what's right, all the time, and will do so even at the risk of disservice to myself. For example, despite being unemployed for 18 of the last 25 months, I left my last position because I believed the business practices of my company to be irresponsible at best, immoral at worst. I refused to put my time and energy into making money for a company about whom I felt like that. So at great personal expense, and despite the fact that there are very few jobs where i live, I left. Maybe I'm not terribly smart, but as I said - I will do what I believe is right, whatever the cost.
But how do we come to those beliefs? Not so simple. I could see examples where I would gladly give my own life to save another - because (this is all theoretical, now) I felt that the continued existance of that person would have far greater reaching, and positive, consequences for the good of the planet than my own. I could also see a time where I would gladly pull the trigger to rid the world of someone else... anyone who threatened the life of my wife or son, for example, I could kill without hesitation, and without regret. But examples serve little purpose in the context of this discussion.
How we arrive at our morals and ideals is through a very complex series of filters. Essentially, a series of mental if/then statements. When we put information in - all of the data we have available about a given situation, then we begin running it through these filters to see if it matches any criteral we have already setup for a specific idea - "good", "bad", "acceptable", etc. These filters have developed based on experiences from the past, how and what you've learned from these experiences, and theoretical situatations you've thought about, learned in class, or discussed with your mates while you were tripping.
It is thought that there are no wrong actions. Some have argued that every single thing any person has ever done was the best thing for them at that time - that instant. It's a strange thought, but one that has it's merits.
I think we may be better served asking where our filters developed from - what concepts of right and wrong we have and why, as opposed to attempting to determine in the absolute what our "morals" are.
But that's just me.
-------------------- There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people. -- Howard Zinn
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Anonymous
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Autonomous]
#1792165 - 08/08/03 12:53 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you.
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Autonomous
MysteriousStranger
Registered: 05/10/02
Posts: 901
Loc: U.S.S.A.
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: ]
#1792915 - 08/08/03 04:34 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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I like that one. My other basic principles, pretty much in order... 1) Do no harm - it is wrong to initiate force against another 2) Be truthful 3) Take responsibility for the consequences of your own actions 4) Keep your word (this really goes back to number 2 & number 3)
-------------------- "In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination." -- Mark Twain
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Swami
Eggshell Walker
Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Autonomous]
#1793116 - 08/08/03 05:23 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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1) Do no harm
From another thread: "Because they don't love you."
I see. This statement had zero intention of harm behind it.
-------------------- The proof is in the pudding.
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Autonomous
MysteriousStranger
Registered: 05/10/02
Posts: 901
Loc: U.S.S.A.
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Swami]
#1793133 - 08/08/03 05:27 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Swami said: I see. This statement had zero intention of harm behind it.
You are correct. What's your point?
-------------------- "In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination." -- Mark Twain
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Shroomism
Space Travellin
Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Autonomous]
#1794199 - 08/08/03 11:18 PM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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My Laws.
1) Free will absolute right 2) Love, Light, goodwill nature 3) Learn, evolve physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually 4) Nature is sacred
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atomikfunksoldier
T'was born oftrue in the yearof the cock!
Registered: 04/07/03
Posts: 1,500
Loc: a human-infested anthill
Last seen: 20 years, 6 months
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Shroomism]
#1794397 - 08/09/03 12:58 AM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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my laws:
1)come correct or dont come at all 2)girls are beautiful flowers, treat them accordingly 3)keep it funky, keep it fresh 4)stay away from fire unless you plan to put it out.
-------------------- enjoy the entertaining indentity i have constructed for you while you can.
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neutralizer
Spiritual beinghaving a Humanexperience
Registered: 06/17/03
Posts: 635
Loc: This Planet Earth
Last seen: 17 years, 1 month
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My main one would be
- Do no harm to yourself or others
These others are an outgrowth of that and represent a desire to be thankful/nice to this planet and to help my species and life on this planet:
- Become familiar with this earth and her other inhabitants
- Promote spiritual growth/evolution of humanity
- Be a center of peace and try to spread this concept
- Try to get others to see that fighting is not the way, that this American 'aggression fetish' is not a good direction to be headed, and that people really can get along.
-------------------- There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors - Morrison
Edited by neutralizer (08/09/03 05:17 AM)
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Lazerouth
Drunkard
Registered: 10/15/00
Posts: 1,091
Loc: England
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: neutralizer]
#1794661 - 08/09/03 03:52 AM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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i have a flexible set of morals. this means they are adapted depending on the situation that presents itself and can easily be changed by offers of money or sex.
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Rhizoid
carbon unit
Registered: 01/22/00
Posts: 1,739
Loc: Europe
Last seen: 1 month, 17 days
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Autonomous]
#1794723 - 08/09/03 05:14 AM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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My fundamental principles: 1. Don't harm others. 2. Contribute to the evolution of intelligent life.
How do I resolve conflicts: As always when rules don't work, I break my rules and improvise.
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Anonymous
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Re: Fundamental Principle(s) [Re: Autonomous]
#1794734 - 08/09/03 05:33 AM (20 years, 7 months ago) |
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Dude, morels are usually only found in the spring unless they are dried.
That's the only time I claim to have them.
Sheesh.
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