[MD] A Place for the Principled Person

[David Harding]

Hi Platt,
>>> PH: I don't understand what you mean by "an open philosophical field
>>> within the MOQ" Within the MOQ there is only one philosophy -the MOQ.
>>>       
>    
>   
>> DH: I disagree. Philosophy is about making divisions of the infinitely
>> dividable. Metaphysics is the first division, there can be many more
>> after that. There are aspects of Rands philosophy which fit beautifully
>> IMHO into the MOQ.
>>     
>
> PH:When you said "philosophy" I took it to mean an entire philosophy, not 
> an "aspect" of a philosophy. I agree that there are "aspects" of many 
> philosophies in the MOQ. 
>   
DH:Everything fits in the MOQ. Often while fitting philosophies into the 
MOQ, new perspective can be found and understanding appears where it 
wasn't before.
>   
>>  DH: I do know Rand's philosophy and she
>> claims the opposite to the Victorians that "if it isn't society it is
>> good" (because she uses the crude distinction; society vs no-society of
>> SOM). She neglects to mention the dangers of letting biology out of the
>> bag, and how we can maintain society once it is. Or at least in a way as
>> beautiful and metaphysically sound as Pirsig does.
>>     
>
> PH:I think Rand's position is that anyone with half a brain will not let 
> biological values such as those of criminals run rampant. She calls for 
> voluntary associations of rational individuals to meet such threats.
>   
DH:In my view not as good as saying that something is absolutely 
metaphysically, morally wrong.   Not just for some people in such and 
such a place at some time. But wrong all the time for all people everywhere.
>> DH: I adhere to the MOQ. That
>> is, until something better comes along. Any standard of morality that
>> allows biological behavior is absolutely immoral according to the MOQ.
>>     
>
> PH:Is adulterous sex between consensual partners immoral?
>   
DH:If they're doing it instead of going to work, or if it's negatively 
impacting society in any way then it is yes.  But if society is 'under 
wraps' then of course no.  Picking up bar ladies and writing metaphysics 
is a part of life :-)
>   
>> DH: Morality *is* relative to the culture involved according to the
>> MOQ.
>>     
>
> PH:OK. There are good cultures and bad cultures.  
>   

DH:In my view there are good cultures and there are not so good 
cultures.  Every culture has different aspects and some of those aspects 
are good, some of them, not. 
>> PH: It takes some work interpreting what each of us is saying to the
>> other,  but happily we seem to agree on some things. 
>>     
>
>   
>>  DH: Yes, I
>> think we agree on a lot too. Just I think you make the mistake of using
>> SOM at times when the MOQ is much better.
>>     
>
> PH:SOM isn't always bad. As a perspective it has done a lot of good along 
> with some bad.
>   
DH:It has done good mostly in the realm of science.  The MOQ 
incorporates the good aspects of SOM like it does everything else and 
helps to widen our perspective.

Cheers,

David.