[Sigia-l] morality in IA

[Adam Korman]

Derek R wrote:

> It would be misleading and dangerous to suggest a flexible morality.
> That if, for instance, an Orthodox Christian went to Las Vegas suddenly
> it would become ok to gamble.

So is gambling morally wrong or not? Or, is the answer dependent on 
context and circumstance (like one's religious beliefs)? It looks like 
you've succeeded in refuting your own argument. Moral judgment is 
completely dependent on cultural, political, religious, social, 
economic, and/or historical context.

Adam
....
Adam Korman
adamk at flexID.com
www.flexID.com

On Friday, November 15, 2002, at 03:41  PM, Derek R wrote:

> 	
> Bill wrote:
>> | Of course there is no single answer.
>> | Questions about ethics and morality have
>> | no answers, other than, "it depends."
>
> Actually Bill, [although I think you understand this, I would like to 
> be
> crystal-clear], with questions of morality and ethics there is *no*
> partiality.
>
> Being 'right' about something has nothing to do with circumstance or
> context. You either are, or you are not (a single answer). There is no
> grey-area.
>
> It would be misleading and dangerous to suggest a flexible morality.
> That if, for instance, an Orthodox Christian went to Las Vegas suddenly
> it would become ok to gamble.
>
> One doesn't need to look far in history to see atrocities which were
> carried out based on a presumed position/partiality (favorable 
> prejudice
> or bias) like Croatia/Bosnia, Nazi Germany, or South Africa.
>
> http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=partiality
> http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=morality
>
> It would be convenient to say, as a current example, that Israelis have
> observably suffered great persecution, so therefore it is ok for them 
> to
> enslave a Palestinian population. Here the question of morality being
> 'dependent' on perceived situation. Unfortunately it doesn't work that
> way.