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View Poll Results: Is being gay morally wrong?
Yes 6 11.76%
No 42 82.35%
Depends 0 0%
Other 3 5.88%
Voters: 51. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 12-18-2007, 06:34 PM   #1
LJ
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Quote:
definition of morality from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

First published Wed Apr 17, 2002; substantive revision Thu Apr 21, 2005
The term “morality” can be used either

descriptively to refer to a code of conduct put forward by a society or,
some other group, such as a religion, or
accepted by an individual for her own behavior or
normatively to refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons.
How morality is defined plays a crucial, although often unacknowledged, role in formulating ethical theories. To take “morality” to refer to an actually existing code of conduct is quite likely to lead to some form of relativism. Among those who use “morality” normatively, different specifications of the conditions under which all rational persons would put forward a code of conduct result in different kinds of moral theories. To claim that “morality” in the normative sense does not have any referent, that is, to claim that there is no code of conduct that, under any plausible specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons, results in moral skepticism. Thus, although not widely discussed, the definition of morality has great significance for moral theory.

it seems that the conventional definition of 'rights' has, as you've inferred, some consideration for what is considered to be 'moral' behavior. That is, it is considered immoral to violate another's rights.

I guess what i meant when i said that there are no morals, is that I see morals as having their roots in societal opinion of acceptable behaviors. Therefore, you inherently sanction those morals by existing within a given society. If you choose to exist without that society, the morals that come with that society fall away. As is your right to do. (not saying i would do, or recommend this, btw)

If you exist outside of society and society's moral influence, you are left with only your own code to guide you. your personal morals. your rights.

I said there are no morals. there is also no spoon. know'm sayin'?
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Old 12-18-2007, 08:05 PM   #2
smoothmoniker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LJ View Post
If you exist outside of society and society's moral influence, you are left with only your own code to guide you. your personal morals. your rights.
Rights have no meaning in that context. A right is a boundary restricting the unjust actions of others toward you.

What possible meaning does the phrase "I have a right to life" mean if not "My possession of my life is fair and just, and others ought not act to remove it from me, and I am justified in acting to protect myself from those who do." What could it possibly mean to have a "right to life" if a person is in isolation?
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Last edited by smoothmoniker; 12-18-2007 at 08:06 PM. Reason: "unjust" for "justified", to add clarity
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Old 12-18-2007, 09:44 PM   #3
Drax
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LJ View Post
I said there are no morals. there is also no spoon. know'm sayin'?
The Matrix has us?
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