[110] in Discussion of MIT-community interests

home help back first fref pref prev next nref lref last post

Re: Objectivist morals (was RE: LIVING WAGE SIT-IN AT HARVARD (fwd) )

daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Boris Zbarsky)
Fri Apr 20 13:06:25 2001

Message-Id: <200104201705.NAA24607@nerd-xing.mit.edu>
To: Benazeer Noorani <benazeer@MIT.EDU>
cc: mit-talk@MIT.EDU
In-reply-to: Your message of "Fri, 20 Apr 2001 11:14:08 EDT."
             <v04020a1db705fed22756@[18.238.2.202]> 
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 13:05:21 -0400
From: Boris Zbarsky <bzbarsky@MIT.EDU>

> I have less respect for agnostics than atheists because I see agnosticism
> as a copout. I only have anecdotal evidence to support my opinion, but the
> majority of agnostics I"ve met have been too lazy to really examine issues
> of eternity, hell, good, evil, God, etc. and come to an intelligent
> conclusion of their own.

You seem to have missed all the agnostics who _have_ examined the issues
and decided that "eternity", "hell", "God", and "good/evil" are pretty
unrelated.  And that some of them are irrelevant to living life in a
fulfilling way and functioning decently as a member of society.  All
these judgements are subjective of course -- for many the concepts of
"God" and "good/evil" (for example) are intertwined.  But they certainly
don't have to be.

> Of course, I have equally little respect for anyone who blindly
> follows the religion of their parents without really examining whether
> they believe it to be true or not.

Hmm.  What about someone who follows the cultural practices of their
parents (admittedly a vague concept)?

Boris
-----------------
617-764-2453
-----------------
Once at a social gathering, Gladstone said to Disraeli,
"I predict, Sir, that you will die either by hanging or
of some vile disease".  Disraeli replied, "That all
depends upon whether I embrace your principles or your
mistress".


home help back first fref pref prev next nref lref last post