P. R. Ramsey

10 Beliefs discovered | 2 Totals Votes

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MY BELIEFS

"Living" and our needs for food, shelter, etc. are well known. "Social" also has empirical support; it implies a need to live together successfully. "Intentional" can't be coherently denied: denial asserts a meaning. As intentional beings we need knowledge, meaning, and value.

P. R. Ramsey

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This follows from #1 as the need of a living and social being.

P. R. Ramsey

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This is what 'need' means. We may prioritize one need over others – even give up life to preserve meaning and value. But if our motivational chemistry is functional, it just isn't possible to not pursue any need. Our needs are our fundamental motivators, the root cause of action.

P. R. Ramsey

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This is a (or the) basic principle of practical rationality. If not self-evident, it is at least unavoidable for understanding what to do. Without it, we could have a goal and know how best to achieve it, and yet be unable to put those two facts together to arrive at what to do.

P. R. Ramsey

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5. There are objective normative truths.
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P. R. Ramsey

#5

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#4 is one. It takes our ends as input, but what it does is pick the action that pushes objective causal reality just so as to achieve our ends. So it is just as objectively true as the answer to “What coefficient of friction is required to hold the block motionless on the ramp?”

P. R. Ramsey

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Formally, this is my definition of 'moral', so it is not derived from previous propositions. Its merit partly depends on how successful it is at identifying what we recognize as moral truths - e.g., “One ought not kill random passers-by.” So see #8-10 for some applications.

P. R. Ramsey

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7. There are objective moral truths.
Why

P. R. Ramsey

#7

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This follows from #6 and the observation there are acts and dispositions that are incompatible with living together well. Violence, dishonesty, and discourtesy tend to erode the trust and mutual good will necessary for life in community, for example.

P. R. Ramsey

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This follows from #6 and the claim that doing so best promotes living together well. A caveat may be needed in rare cases, e.g. homicidal neighbor. But #8 remains best since i) neighbors often do reciprocate good will, and ii) to not seek their well being offers no better hope.

P. R. Ramsey

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This follows from #6 and i) people are bitterly divided by conflict in the interests of their children, ii) children have a crucial role in continuing the community, iii) the extraordinary value of children to caregivers, and iv) the need for multi-generation remedies to poverty.

P. R. Ramsey

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This follows from #6, our need for meaning (#1), and its benefits. Intellectual and affective response to reality is a pre-requisite for meaning; it is how we discover what there is to think about and value. And when so moved, we are less likely divided by our little differences.

P. R. Ramsey

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BELIEFS I VOTED ON

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