While there are many competing moral justifications for different ways to divide the pie, and while a moral relativist can say that no one of them is objectively correct, still many human beings will choose one. Not even a moral relativist is obligated to refrain from choosing moral standards. Indeed, someone who is intensely aware that he has chosen his standards may feel much more intensely that they are his than someone who believes they are a moral absolute that all honest and intelligent people are obligated to accept.
So, once you have made your moral choice, it is not fair to simply put it aside because somebody else disagrees. If he convinces you that he’s right, then it’s OK. But if you believe you know what’s right and you agree to do wrong, you are doing wrong.
If all but two members of the group—you and Aaron—think it’s right to do something that Aaron thinks is unfair to him, then it’s wrong for you to violate your ethics and go along with the group. If everybody but you thinks it’s right then it’s still wrong for you to agree, when you believe it’s wrong.
Unless, of course, you belong to a moral philosophy which says it’s right to do that.
When Dennis says he deserves the whole pie and you disagree, and it violates your ethical code to say it’s right when you think it’s wrong, then you should not agree for Dennis to get the whole pie. It would be wrong.
I believe that what you ought to do in the case when there’s no agreement, should still be somewhat undecided. If you have the power to impose your own choice on someone else or everybody else then that might be the most convenient thing to do. But it takes a special way of thinking to say it’s fair to do that. Is it in general a fair thing to impose your standards on other people when you think you are right? I guess a whole lot of people think so. But I’m convinced they’re wrong. It isn’t fair. And yet it can be damn convenient....
Lakshmi, Eliezer does have a point, though.
While there are many competing moral justifications for different ways to divide the pie, and while a moral relativist can say that no one of them is objectively correct, still many human beings will choose one. Not even a moral relativist is obligated to refrain from choosing moral standards. Indeed, someone who is intensely aware that he has chosen his standards may feel much more intensely that they are his than someone who believes they are a moral absolute that all honest and intelligent people are obligated to accept.
So, once you have made your moral choice, it is not fair to simply put it aside because somebody else disagrees. If he convinces you that he’s right, then it’s OK. But if you believe you know what’s right and you agree to do wrong, you are doing wrong.
If all but two members of the group—you and Aaron—think it’s right to do something that Aaron thinks is unfair to him, then it’s wrong for you to violate your ethics and go along with the group. If everybody but you thinks it’s right then it’s still wrong for you to agree, when you believe it’s wrong.
Unless, of course, you belong to a moral philosophy which says it’s right to do that.
When Dennis says he deserves the whole pie and you disagree, and it violates your ethical code to say it’s right when you think it’s wrong, then you should not agree for Dennis to get the whole pie. It would be wrong.
I believe that what you ought to do in the case when there’s no agreement, should still be somewhat undecided. If you have the power to impose your own choice on someone else or everybody else then that might be the most convenient thing to do. But it takes a special way of thinking to say it’s fair to do that. Is it in general a fair thing to impose your standards on other people when you think you are right? I guess a whole lot of people think so. But I’m convinced they’re wrong. It isn’t fair. And yet it can be damn convenient....