Originally posted by seer
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Of course it is because God says so. What do you have? Because you say so?
Epistemologically both of our theories are beliefs that could each be defeated: we could each be in the matrix, etc. Our beliefs are all equally perspectival. As far as conceivability, as I said, which statement are you more certain of, that slaughtering infants for fun is wrong or that God is the source of the moral law?
You can't just say "Of course the source of morality is X" without offering an argument as to why it's X. You have to actually come up with an argument at some point. Certitude and repetition are not an argument.
God's law is certain, universal and non-relative. I can find no better basis in the musings of man.
Does the masochist necessarily think pain is bad? Is the pain of surgery a necessarily bad thing? If I can offer one exception the whole house of cards folds. Never mind the fact that even though one personally may not want to experience pain the cannibal has few qualms about boiling you alive. It does not necessarily follow that because one does not want to experience pain it is therefor immoral to inflict pain on others for personal gain or pleasure.
The pain of surgery is a good thing instrumentally, but I was talking about intrinsically.
As far as the cannibal, you're confusing descriptive with normative morality. Anyway, you're getting ahead of yourself. Let's back up. Awful pain is a bad thing in itself. Pleasure is a good thing in itself. Awful pain may lead to a good thing (as in the surgery). Pleasure may lead to a bad thing, say if I lay in bed all day and lose my job.
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