14 November 2012

Post to OK Cupid profile

Answer to OK Cupid question:  Is morality relative or absolute?

I don't like many of these OK Cupid questions, because they so often are not suited to a simple yes or no answer. This morality question is not well-answered by a simply indicating "Relative" or "Universal." What is important to me is that that my prospective partner is predisposed to giving deep thought to questions such as this one -- or, is sympathetic to same. I am naturally predisposed to doing this, and it is a lot of what I am all about. Understand that, and you have a big leg up toward understanding me. My big-picture answer about morality: Morality is universal, in the big picture. Morality is relative in the limited, local picture. Overall, morality is universal because the vast majority of human beings want to uplift the maximum number of people for the maximum length of time without doing so at the expense of a tiny minority. That said, there are cases where highly moral individuals have to do things that, on the surface, look highly immoral. For example, a highly moral person, under the right circumstances, will shoot someone in cold blood. Example: A crazy, but very clear-thinking murderer is holding your family hostage. He says he will let them all go if you shoot just one of the family members. If you do not shoot one of them, he will kill them all. You totally believe that he is telling the truth. Morally, many upstanding individuals would conclude that it is better to shoot the one family member than to let the crazy man kill them all. This is a case of morality being relative. This is a case of murder being justified. In almost all cases, however, it is immoral to shoot other people. I could talk for a long time on this subject. Many do not want to take what they consider to be side roads into such pondering. I take the so-called side roads, often seeing them as the important roads. Yes, I understand that the garbage needs to be taken out on a schedule; and yes, I understand that the budget needs to be balanced and the teeth need to be brushed; and you won't find a more affectionate and deeply loyal person than me, who will demonstrate this through thick and thin with practical action. But once the nuts-and-bots are attended to, I immediately gravitate to picking apart things and asking deep questions. It is a big central part of me. It is a key to understanding me.

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