Regardless of the debate surrounding whether Morality and “Good” are somehow embedded in how the universe works, you can’t change whether or not you prefer to behave that way.
For example, I can’t help but care about human suffering. You can’t ask me why I would want to care about it—it’s a terminal value. I care because I was “programmed” to care...and it wouldn’t matter whether or not it was “good” to care.
I can’t help it in the same way I can’t help preferring sweet to bitter. Asking why I would want to have those preferences is like asking someone why they find junk food tasty.
This implies that you get a choice in the matter. Ultimately, preferences simply exist—they aren’t chosen.
I might say that, but I doubt that those miserable Comtean altruists would see it that way. For them, I suspect morality is a truth, not a preference.
Well, it is a truth about one’s preferences, isn’t it?
They’d say that Altruism is good regardless of whether they prefer it or not.
No, I mean even regardless of that.
Regardless of the debate surrounding whether Morality and “Good” are somehow embedded in how the universe works, you can’t change whether or not you prefer to behave that way.
For example, I can’t help but care about human suffering. You can’t ask me why I would want to care about it—it’s a terminal value. I care because I was “programmed” to care...and it wouldn’t matter whether or not it was “good” to care.
I can’t help it in the same way I can’t help preferring sweet to bitter. Asking why I would want to have those preferences is like asking someone why they find junk food tasty.