Another case of what came first: "chicken or the egg"

[GTP1960]

Todays newspaper headline made me wonder,

Are laws based on ethics?
or are ethics based on law?

(i think if you have to have a law to enforce ethics, then you didn't pay attention in kindergarten)

 

[NutmegCT]

hmmm - if a thoughtful human writes a law, then the law obviously comes *after* the human's thought. But that's certainly not meant to say that acts committed which *follow* the law are not thoughtful! Of course, if M-theory branes (string membranes) collide, the resulting "prime events" could produce many conflicting human thoughts and conflicting human laws, in conflicting yet contemporaneous universes.

Tossing this into the Kantian Ethics debate - paraphrasing Singer (1983) - we have to admit that deontological ethical theory, developed as a result of Enlightenment rationalism, is based on the view that the only intrinsically good thing is a good will. An action can only be good if its maxim – the principle behind it – pays duty to the moral law. Central to Kant's construction of the moral law is the categorical imperative, which acts on all people, regardless of their interests or desires.

In other words, what's good for General Motors, is good for the USA!

(right?)

:banana:

 

[GTP1960]

In other words, what's good for General Motors, is good for the USA!

.....ok the last part I get!
(but, is GM the chicken or the egg?)

 

[NutmegCT]

LOL - it's only the last part that *I* get!

 

[Basil]

hmmm - if a thoughtful human writes a law, then the law obviously comes *after* the human's thought. But that's certainly not meant to say that acts committed which *follow* the law are not thoughtful! Of course, if M-theory branes (string membranes) collide, the resulting "prime events" could produce many conflicting human thoughts and conflicting human laws, in conflicting yet contemporaneous universes.

Tossing this into the Kantian Ethics debate - paraphrasing Singer (1983) - we have to admit that deontological ethical theory, developed as a result of Enlightenment rationalism, is based on the view that the only intrinsically good thing is a good will. An action can only be good if its maxim – the principle behind it – pays duty to the moral law. Central to Kant's construction of the moral law is the categorical imperative, which acts on all people, regardless of their interests or desires.

In other words, what's good for General Motors, is good for the USA!

(right?)

:banana:

I think we should stamp out verisimilitude!!

 

[NutmegCT]

I think we should stamp out verisimilitude!!

Absolutely! (and some folks are much better at that than others!)

 

[Basil]

I had this in mind:

 

[NutmegCT]

That is hysterical! I'd never seen that episode.

And I could never argue with what he says.

Never.

(wow - do I miss 1960s TV)

 

[Basil]

That is hysterical! I'd never seen that episode.

And I could never argue with what he says.

Never.

(wow - do I miss 1960s TV)

It's on Netflix! So is Andy Griffith and others.

 

[TRMark]

Verisimilitude I am so proud that I received a 5 credit F in philosophy.