[MD] Quality and the Higgs Field: An Analogy

[John Carl]

Hello Mark,

>
> [Mark]
> I think this is where JA gets the existentialism from, an amoral or
> indifferent universe.  Since we are part of such a universe, how did
> we get morality?


John:

My guess is that if one believes that the universe is inherently amoral,
then they'd have to conclude that we did not get morality.  That there
really is no such thing - it's all in your head, and nowhere else.  That's a
common enough worldview today.

Mark:


>  What divine power did we acquire to do that?  Yes,
> the universe is intrinsically moral, that is why we have such a
> concept, and do our best to act on it.  Plants do the same thing,
> except in their own way, which we could never understand from an
> anthropomorphic view.


John:

Well, I'm not sure.  One way of thinking about it is that Man does have an
intellectual capacity which attempts to understand the relations of plants
and animals and thinking and being.  Since this intellectual capacity is
self-evident, it must have a purpose - to understand.  Even if we cannot
understand totally, we can understand in part.  That's where science comes
in - the infinite pursuit of further understanding.  The moral imperative of
all science.

Mark:

 We cannot leave man as the creator of all these
> things, that just does not stand to reason.  We cannot create morality
> from nothingness.  As Ham states, Nothing can be created from
> Nothingness. He seems to have made an exception here.  Unless, of
> course, Morality is Nothing.


John:

I don't get Ham, sometimes.  First he says he doesn't believe in
Nothingness, and then he uses it as the basis of his argument.  I don't know
if he's just confused, or confusing on purpose.  But he'll have to explain
this "amoral universe" of his in order for me to go any further with him.


Mark:


>   This reminds me of a spaghetti Western
> called My Name is Nobody.  Terence Hill was good in all of those.
>
> Check out
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs3WYGRNILA&feature=related
>
>
>
John:

Hmm... sorta prefer that opening scene in Butch Cassady and the Sundance
Kid... Prayer indeed.   but speaking of blue-eyed devils, howzabout that ole
Paul Newman in the ending of one of the greatest statements against
collectivism I've ever seen - Sometimes a Great Notion.  Lazing back on that
log raft, drifting past all those mad-as-hell union guys... never give an
inch, indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npV1ZEnQb_A


> The dark beer sounds pretty good right now.  I may take a peek.
>
> Mark
>

Sounds good to me too.  I may take a sip.

John