Once one starts with the three building blocks, then one has to deal with where they lead. Let's start with the nature of life within each individual.
Nature, absent Man's mind, is amoral. There is no right or wrong, no good or bad, only the fight to survive...and this is the nature of the physical side of all of us.
But the Mind allows Man to conceptualize the group and right or wrong, and all the other things that set Man apart from all other living creatures. The challenge of philosophy has always been to integrate and explain how man relates to mind, and to define "right" behavior.
By nature, each of us wants to find our own way and live with the freedom to make our own choices.
But if each of us gets our own way at the expense of others, conflict is created that ultimately leads to anarchy, and anarchy is bad for individuals.
And anarchy invites the group to come in and force behavior, removing freedom of choice, and that can be bad for individuals
The answer for this conundrum is for the individual to be willing to share with others the same freedom of choices that he wants for himself.
If morality pertains to the rules of "correct" behavior, then, an individual who allows others the choices he would have for himself, is moral, because he allows all individuals to live closer to what their nature intends, and he helps avoid conflict leading to anarchy.
This leads to the first of two rules of the "Universal Morality"
As an individual, the more I am willing to allow others to have the same freedoms and choices that I want for myself, the more moral my behavior becomes. I am doing this, not for altruistic reasons, but for the very selfish reason of protecting my personal choices.
Rule two comes in the next post.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Post #6 Transparent and full disclosure
Before we go any further, I want to disclose my personal beliefs, so that you are aware of my possible bias. My personal beliefs are compatible with "The Poor Man's Philosophy", but are not necessary to the philosophy.
As we go further into the philosophy, you may be surprised that my views on religion and morality can be coming from a Christian, but I am a Christian.
Granted, I haven't gone to church very often over recent years, but I do believe in God, the Creator. I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
I believe in Heaven and Hell, and that by living the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule, I can earn my way into Heaven
I believe that when Jesus was forgiven for His moment of weakness and ascended into Heaven, I was promised that, if I truly repent, I can be forgiven for my weaknesses and ascend into Heaven, even if I'm never forgiven in this world. My Christian beliefs give me great comfort, hope, and direction in life.
That being said, I'm aware that I cannot prove a word of it, any more than an Atheist can prove that God doesn't exist, or that a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim, or any other religion can prove that their beliefs are God's will.
Religious faith, including Atheism, may offer comfort to individuals, but, at heart, the faiths are all based on an arational concept...the existence (or not) of a Divine Being.
This distinction will become more apparent as we get further into the philosophy.
As we go further into the philosophy, you may be surprised that my views on religion and morality can be coming from a Christian, but I am a Christian.
Granted, I haven't gone to church very often over recent years, but I do believe in God, the Creator. I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
I believe in Heaven and Hell, and that by living the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule, I can earn my way into Heaven
I believe that when Jesus was forgiven for His moment of weakness and ascended into Heaven, I was promised that, if I truly repent, I can be forgiven for my weaknesses and ascend into Heaven, even if I'm never forgiven in this world. My Christian beliefs give me great comfort, hope, and direction in life.
That being said, I'm aware that I cannot prove a word of it, any more than an Atheist can prove that God doesn't exist, or that a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim, or any other religion can prove that their beliefs are God's will.
Religious faith, including Atheism, may offer comfort to individuals, but, at heart, the faiths are all based on an arational concept...the existence (or not) of a Divine Being.
This distinction will become more apparent as we get further into the philosophy.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Post #5 Whats the big deal?
The importance of the three building blocks is that they can be reached by reason. You may not agree with them, but you can make a rational case that they exist.
To try to go back further would be to go beyond reason, into that arational area that requires faith, not reason.
For the purposes of the "Poor Man's Philosophy", I do not try to to answer the questions of how, or why, the premises exist. I only make the case that a reasonable person can conclude they do exist.
Further, they exist at the point of convergence between faith and reason.
One can believe that they exist as the intent of a Creator. One can believe they came into existence as a part of the evolution of man. One can even believe they came into existence as a freak of nature...perhaps lightning struck an ape and re-wired it's brain.
My first goal has been to find this place where men of faith, where atheists, and agnostics, and doubters of all sorts can agree on a common starting point. To me, the three building blocks take us to the starting point.
From there, we use reasoning and logic to see where the road leads us, and if all can travel that road.
To try to go back further would be to go beyond reason, into that arational area that requires faith, not reason.
For the purposes of the "Poor Man's Philosophy", I do not try to to answer the questions of how, or why, the premises exist. I only make the case that a reasonable person can conclude they do exist.
Further, they exist at the point of convergence between faith and reason.
One can believe that they exist as the intent of a Creator. One can believe they came into existence as a part of the evolution of man. One can even believe they came into existence as a freak of nature...perhaps lightning struck an ape and re-wired it's brain.
My first goal has been to find this place where men of faith, where atheists, and agnostics, and doubters of all sorts can agree on a common starting point. To me, the three building blocks take us to the starting point.
From there, we use reasoning and logic to see where the road leads us, and if all can travel that road.
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