No, they weren’t. Your model of objective wrongness is not a good one, it fails a number of tests.
“Human sacrifice and human slavery” is wrong now in the Westernized society, because it fits under the agreed definition of wrong today. It was not wrong then. It might not be wrong again in the future, after some x-risk-type calamity.
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The definition of wrong as an agreed upon boundary of acceptable behavior matches observations. The way people come to such an agreement is a topic eminently worth studying, but it should not be confused with studying the concept of wrong as if it were some universal truth.
This concept of “wrong” is useful, but a) there is an existing term which people understand to mean what you describe—“acceptable”—and b) it does not serve the useful function people currently expect “wrong” to serve; that of describing our extrapolated desires—it is not prescriptive.
I would advise switching to the more common term, but if you must use it this way I would suggest warning people first, to prevent confusion.
You or TimS are the ones who introduced the term “wrong” into the conversation, I’m simply interpreting it in a way that makes sense to me. Tapping out due to lack of progress.
You or TimS are the ones who introduced the term “wrong” into the conversation
That would be TimS, because he’s the one discussing your views on moral realism with you.
I’m simply interpreting it in a way that makes sense to me.
And I’m simply warning you that using the term in a nonstandard way is predictably going to result in confusion, as it has in this case.
Tapping out due to lack of progress.
Well, that’s your prerogative, obviously, but please don’t tap out of your discussion with Tim on my account. And, um, if it’s not on my account, you might want to say it to him, not me.
This concept of “wrong” is useful, but a) there is an existing term which people understand to mean what you describe—“acceptable”—and b) it does not serve the useful function people currently expect “wrong” to serve; that of describing our extrapolated desires—it is not prescriptive.
I would advise switching to the more common term, but if you must use it this way I would suggest warning people first, to prevent confusion.
You or TimS are the ones who introduced the term “wrong” into the conversation, I’m simply interpreting it in a way that makes sense to me. Tapping out due to lack of progress.
That would be TimS, because he’s the one discussing your views on moral realism with you.
And I’m simply warning you that using the term in a nonstandard way is predictably going to result in confusion, as it has in this case.
Well, that’s your prerogative, obviously, but please don’t tap out of your discussion with Tim on my account. And, um, if it’s not on my account, you might want to say it to him, not me.