It can make sense to say that the person being punished was actually in the right. Were the British right to imprison Gandhi?
Peter, at this point, you seem very confused. You’ve asserted that morality is just like chess apparently comparing it to a game where one has agreed upon rules. You’ve then tried to assert that somehow morality is different and is a somehow more privileged game that people “should” play but the only evidence you’ve given is that in societies with a given moral system people who don’t abide by that moral system suffer. Yet your comment about Gandhi then endorses naive moral realism.
It is possible that there’s a coherent position here and we’re just failing to understand you. But right now that looks unlikely.
As I have pointed out about three times, the comparison with chess was to make a point about obligation, not to make a point about arbitrariness
the only evidence you’ve given is that in societies with a given moral system people who don’t abide by that moral system suffer.
I never gave that, that was someone else characterisation. What I said was that it is an anaytlcal trtuth that morality is where the evaluative buck stops.
I don’t know what you mean by the naive in naive realism. It is a a central characteristic of any kind of realism that you can have truth beyond conventional belief. The idea that there is more to morality than what a particular society wants to punish is a coherent one. It is better as morality, because subjectivism is too subject to get-out clauses. It is better as an explanation, because it can explain how de facto morality in societies and individuals can be overturned for something better.
It can make sense to say that the person being punished was actually in the right. Were the British right to imprison Gandhi?
Peter, at this point, you seem very confused. You’ve asserted that morality is just like chess apparently comparing it to a game where one has agreed upon rules. You’ve then tried to assert that somehow morality is different and is a somehow more privileged game that people “should” play but the only evidence you’ve given is that in societies with a given moral system people who don’t abide by that moral system suffer. Yet your comment about Gandhi then endorses naive moral realism.
It is possible that there’s a coherent position here and we’re just failing to understand you. But right now that looks unlikely.
As I have pointed out about three times, the comparison with chess was to make a point about obligation, not to make a point about arbitrariness
I never gave that, that was someone else characterisation. What I said was that it is an anaytlcal trtuth that morality is where the evaluative buck stops.
I don’t know what you mean by the naive in naive realism. It is a a central characteristic of any kind of realism that you can have truth beyond conventional belief. The idea that there is more to morality than what a particular society wants to punish is a coherent one. It is better as morality, because subjectivism is too subject to get-out clauses. It is better as an explanation, because it can explain how de facto morality in societies and individuals can be overturned for something better.
Yes, roughly speaking when the person being punished fits into the category ‘us’ rather than ‘them’. Especially ‘me’.