It is not a position which I have a particular vested interested in evangelising. I also know from experience and would in any case predict theoretically that when discussing morality there is a significant signalling cost to doing so from a detached descriptive perspective rather than from ‘within’ - even when not actually advocating anything ‘immoral’.
My initial statement was a casual observation of the way morality works—not a declaration that I would be willing to engage in a verbal duel with anyone who considered it ‘bizarrely false’. The chances of such a conversation being productive is negligible, so I am happy to leave you to disagree and would never presume to question your right to express disagreement or presume that any readers would consider the question resolved when disagreement remains.
I don’t disagree with ‘is often’, by the way and note now that there is a difference between ‘skeptic 1’ and ‘skeptic 2’ that changes the meaning of your claim somewhat.
Well, yes, there’s a difference between Skeptics 1 and 2, because they’re different people: just as randallsquared and gjm are different people. I wasn’t the person who called your statement “bizarrely false” and I have no wish for a verbal duel (though it sure seems like you’re trying to have one, for some reason) nor for a clash of evangelisms. What I was hoping for was a reasoned discussion.
Far be it from me, though, to insist that you bear a significant signalling cost. (Though I think you already paid it; anyone who’d be upset at a detached discussion of morality was probably already upset by your statement that morality becomes less important as one matures.)
[EDITED some hours after writing, to add: for that matter, those same people were presumably even more upset by your earlier comment about the original purpose of morality. It’s a bit late to be worrying about what those people might think of you.]
Well, yes, there’s a difference between Skeptics 1 and 2, because they’re different people
Yes, I got that and added the last bit at the end. That difference indicated to me that your own interest was limited to the specific example about road crossing. I conceded ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ there so I don’t think I have a substantial disagreement with you there.
It’s a bit late to be worrying about what those people might think of you.
True enough. They feel sufficiently ‘out group’ that different instincts are in play. The relevant factor is that it is a behaviour that I hold in utter contempt. And contempt is the one one emotion that I find has an unambiguously deleterious influence on thought. It makes me careless. (Not noticing a different commenter, for example.) It is better to avoid such situations all together. Hindsight suggests I should have downvoted and ignored Randall, rather than replying.
It is not a position which I have a particular vested interested in evangelising. I also know from experience and would in any case predict theoretically that when discussing morality there is a significant signalling cost to doing so from a detached descriptive perspective rather than from ‘within’ - even when not actually advocating anything ‘immoral’.
My initial statement was a casual observation of the way morality works—not a declaration that I would be willing to engage in a verbal duel with anyone who considered it ‘bizarrely false’. The chances of such a conversation being productive is negligible, so I am happy to leave you to disagree and would never presume to question your right to express disagreement or presume that any readers would consider the question resolved when disagreement remains.
I don’t disagree with ‘is often’, by the way and note now that there is a difference between ‘skeptic 1’ and ‘skeptic 2’ that changes the meaning of your claim somewhat.
Well, yes, there’s a difference between Skeptics 1 and 2, because they’re different people: just as randallsquared and gjm are different people. I wasn’t the person who called your statement “bizarrely false” and I have no wish for a verbal duel (though it sure seems like you’re trying to have one, for some reason) nor for a clash of evangelisms. What I was hoping for was a reasoned discussion.
Far be it from me, though, to insist that you bear a significant signalling cost. (Though I think you already paid it; anyone who’d be upset at a detached discussion of morality was probably already upset by your statement that morality becomes less important as one matures.)
[EDITED some hours after writing, to add: for that matter, those same people were presumably even more upset by your earlier comment about the original purpose of morality. It’s a bit late to be worrying about what those people might think of you.]
Yes, I got that and added the last bit at the end. That difference indicated to me that your own interest was limited to the specific example about road crossing. I conceded ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ there so I don’t think I have a substantial disagreement with you there.
True enough. They feel sufficiently ‘out group’ that different instincts are in play. The relevant factor is that it is a behaviour that I hold in utter contempt. And contempt is the one one emotion that I find has an unambiguously deleterious influence on thought. It makes me careless. (Not noticing a different commenter, for example.) It is better to avoid such situations all together. Hindsight suggests I should have downvoted and ignored Randall, rather than replying.