Quote:
Originally posted by WillowIX:
B_part, what is right and wrong? After all "conscience" is just something we humans made up. No such thing physically exists. [img]tongue.gif[/img]  Sorry, couldn't help myself from posting that. However it is an intriguing question. Hmm perhaps I will start a new thread. [img]smile.gif[/img]
BAH! Dang that smilye limit!
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What is conscience? really I couldn't say. What is right and what is wrong? Another question without answer. The only thing I can say is that a common ground on right and wrong must be estabilished and enforced, for the sake of peaceful living.
It took some thousands of years of history to reach some conclusions you can read in the constitutions of democratic countries all around the world, and although the details may vary, the core is the same (rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness).
Cultural relativists may say these core principles are right in our culture only, because others (e.g. Osama and his pals, just to make a striking example) have different values wich have exactly the same dignity of ours. We should not judge them or try to impose our views.
I firmly believe that this relativistic view is the most dangerous invention of the human mind. Relativism justifies killing 6 million jews because that's what the Nazi culture said was right.
The line between respecting another culture and allowing anything must be set somewhere, and must be set precisely. I have decided that this border lies in the words I mentioned above about life freedom and happiness. I cannot say these principles are right in abstract and
a priori . But History has clearly shown that these principles, even when applied imperfectly, make living better than any others.
This makes them right, and worth fighting for.