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Topic: Moral objectivism

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	Moral Relativism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
		Let us say that moral objectivism maintains that moral judgments are ordinarily true or false in an absolute or universal sense, that some of them are true, and that people sometimes are justified in accepting true moral judgments (and rejecting false ones) on the basis of evidence available to any reasonable and well-informed person.
		Examples of moral practices that appear sharply at odds with moral outlooks common in the United States are not hard to come by: polygamy, arranged marriages, suicide as a requirement of honor or widowhood, severe punishments for blasphemy or adultery, female circumcision or genital mutilation (as it is variously called), and so on.
		To the objection that moral objectivism implies intolerance (or imperialism), objectivists typically contend that the fact that we regard a society as morally wrong in some respect does not entail that we should interfere with it.
	plato.stanford.edu /entries/moral-relativism (10714 words)

	Moral Objectivism
		"Objectivism" denotes the thesis that morality is objective.
		Another way of stating the thesis that morality is objective is to say that values are 'part of the fabric of reality;' that is, there is some actual state of the world that corresponds to a value judgement.
		Moral intuition is not comparable to a special faculty of perception, because moral judgements are supposed to be necessary (given the other, descriptive facts) and not empirical.
	home.sprynet.com /~owl1/objectiv.htm (7196 words)

	moral objectivism@Everything2.com
		Moral objectivism, also known as moral realism, is the philosophical thesis that moral values are actual, that is, that (depending on the specific theory in question) states of affairs, actions, or things can be good or bad (or right or wrong).
		Moral objectivism does not necessarily imply a nonconsequentialist ethics; a utilitarian who claims that it really is good to pursue a course of action that would have the happiest consequences for as many sentient beings as possible is a moral objectivist.
		One of moral objectivism's advantages over moral relativism is the fact that it tends to be much easier to express a consistent objectivist thesis about ethics than to express a consistent relativist thesis.
	everything2.com /index.pl?node_id=142480 (385 words)

	In Defense of Moral Subjectivism: An Argument for the Subjectivity of Moral Values
		Moral laws are maxims which tell sentient beings that certain actions are to be deemed moral or immoral.
		Another reason that moral objectivism is implausible is because all the laws of nature that we are aware of are descriptive: they describe how certain configurations of matter or energy will behave under different circumstances.
		But given that moral subjectivism is just as logically viable as moral objectivism and that moral objectivism is implausible if a scientific naturalism is true, I think that there is a good case for the nonexistence of objective moral values.
	www.infidels.org /library/modern/keith_augustine/moral.html (2009 words)

	Ethics - Objectivism Wiki (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		Morality is the recognition of the fact that as mortal beings with a rational, volitional consciousness, we need to adopt and practice certain principles in order to live.
		Indeed, in her one-sentence summary of Objectivism, Ayn Rand condensed her ethics into the statement that man properly lives "with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life." According to Objectivist epistemology, however, states of mind, such as happiness, are not primary; they are the consequence of specific facts of existence.
		Objectivism uses this term in a special sense: a "sacrifice", according to its Objectivist definition, is the giving up of a greater value for a lesser one.
	wiki.objectivismonline.net /wiki/Ethics (1964 words)

	NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Structure of Atlas Shrugged
		She has commented that in Atlas Shrugged she said everything she had to say on the subject of human freedom and responsibility, and therefore no fourth novel was necessary.
		She did, however, continue to lecture and write many non-fiction pieces on her philosophy of Objectivism.
		Objectivism is opposed to subjectivism and may mean: Metaphysical objectivism The philosophy of Ayn Rand, Objectivist philosophy The poetry of the Objectivist poets Moral objectivism, Objective morality This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title.
	www.nationmaster.com /encyclopedia/Structure-of-Atlas-Shrugged (643 words)

	Objectivism@Everything2.com
		Objectivism rejects any belief in the supernatural, and any claim that individuals or groups create their own reality.
		It does not necessarily imply moral cognitivism (the view that moral judgments are truth-apt) though it is allied with it.
		Belief in objectivism is as widespread as abhorrence of skepticism and relativism which it denies.
	www.everything2.com /index.pl?node=objectivism (3648 words)

	Revisiting Moral Objectivism with Mathematical Notation \| LucasForums
		However if objective morality does exist, it would not need to be created just as we didn't "create" the principles that govern mathematics or the physical laws of our universe.
		I believe that it would be absolutely moral for a doctor to "part out" a corpse to save 5 lives because this would maximize social happiness (the other patients, their families, and loved ones, etc) with absolutely no impact to social (or individual) suffering.
		This is why I have tried to define morality in the past- as you may remember from my response to one of your own questions in the "moral relativism" thread- as the objective, universal standard of behaviour that aims to minimise one's negative impact on other creatures...
	www.lucasforums.com /showthread.php?t=177523 (7179 words)

	Ethics [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]
		Some answers to the question "Why be moral?" are to avoid punishment, to gain praise, to attain happiness, to be dignified, or to fit in with society.
		A third area of moral psychology focuses on whether there is a distinctly female approach to ethics that is grounded in the psychological differences between men and women.
		Moral issues, by contrast, concern more universally obligatory practices, such as our duty to avoid lying, and are not confined to individual societies.
	www.utm.edu /research/iep/e/ethics.htm (6475 words)

	Book Review
		The purpose of Moral Disagreements: Classic and Contemporary Readings is to give a representative sample of the “theoretical questions of the objectivity of morality” and simultaneously address the “practical questions about how we should think and act with respect to those with whom we disagree” on moral issues (viii).
		Thomas Aquinas’ essay, “Natural Law and Moral Disagreements” is the next essay in Part I. Aquinas gives the foundational structure of moral theory and responds to the disagreement challenge to moral objectivity from an objectivist perspective.
		While such philosophical theories as moral objectivism, non-relativism, and skepticism are used to examine the moral disagreement issue, contemporary perspectives such as feminist theory and an emphasis on socio-historical contexts, are also used to examine aspects of the moral disagreements debate.
	www.humboldt.edu /~essays/hondrosrev.html (2277 words)

	Moral vs Moral worth - Objectivism Online Forum (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		A person's actions are moral or immoral (or amoral, but leave that aside); that evaluation is in terms of whether the actions advance or hinder one's ultimate goal.
		This is because there are objective values, and suicide (in quick or short form) isn't one of them; and I prefer to live in a world where people chose to exist and act rationally towards that end.
		The vast majority of folks on here aren't simply castigating the morality of others for no reason, they are doing it because of the impact that such actions have or may have on their life, and they are adjusting their relationships accordingly.
	forum.objectivismonline.net /index.php?showtopic=7995 (2953 words)

	Shaun Nichols - Sentimental Rules: On the Natural Foundations of Moral Judgment - Reviewed by Neil Sinclair, Bristol ...
		He argues that a consequence of the SR account is that moral objectivism -- the view that moral judgements are true or false independently of their relations to any agents -- is false.
		The realisation that the SR account is compatible with conceptual moral rationalism leads quickly to the further realisation that it is compatible with empirical moral rationalism.
		Core moral judgements, for example, are justified by reference to welfare considerations such as 'because it hurt' (p.6).
	ndpr.nd.edu /review.cfm?id=4261 (2386 words)

	Ephilosopher :: Philosophical Ethics Forum :: Moral subjectivism vs. moral objectivism (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		After all, if morality is objective then it is absolute (roughly) and if we transgress these absolute laws then we risk suffering negative consequences.
		the 'objective morality') and that the threat of negative reprecussions causes a fear which is the fear of the unknown.
		But what moral discourse is to me(no matter what Plato might think) is simply an attempt to inspire people to care about the values that you believe in, and in no way is an attempt to describe any property of the world.
	www.ephilosopher.com /phpBB_14-action-viewtopic-mode-viewtopic-topic-787-start-15.html (2125 words)

	Answering To Moral Nihilism
		It is sometimes argued that the proponent of objective morality is committing the naturalistic fallacy (or, in a related objection, tries to bridge the is-ought “dichotomy”), because he is trying to use facts of nature in order to deduce moral judgment.
		If it is morally wrong it is false according to moral objecticvist, and hense scientific or philosophical explanations should be discarded if they are judged to be undesireable—thus moral objectivism is in the end one of the most extreme subjectivisms.
		Given the sufficient case that we have for the existence and desirability of objective morality, such objections are adequately addressed by the general moral model that I present in that case.
	www.strongatheism.net /library/philosophy/answering_to_moral_nihilism (2441 words)

	A Defense of Moral Objectivism-Print
		This sort of moralizing is typical of classical theism, and the form of moral objectivism I am defending will not depend on any appeal to the supernatural (2).
		Even renowned moral skeptics such as J.L. Mackie have admitted that the ordinary use of moral terms involves the belief on the part of the speaker that he is referring to such (real) properties.
		The moral skeptic would have to argue that we are in fact conscious of something else when we think we are conscious of moral principles, but this path of argumentation would be quite difficult.
	journal.ilovephilosophy.com /article.php?id=10&act=print (3764 words)

	Objectivism 101 - Consequences of Objectivism - free Suite101 course
		The goal is to take one thru the essential concepts of Objectivist epistemology, ethics and politics, with an emphasis on concepts which tend to confuse beginners because of their philosophical meaning.
		Thus most religions give false comfort, incite people to believe lies, and their moral principles are irrational and not adapted to man's life.
		Objectivism, as a philosophical system, is greatly informed by science (particularily in epistemology, but in all branches).
	suite101.com /lesson.cfm/17330/633/2 (637 words)

	24.00: Moral Relativism (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		Moral Objectivists hold that there are genuine moral truths, and that some cultures have got ahold of this truth, while others are somehow missing it.
		Which moral laws apply in a given part of the world is a function of the way those people have chosen to organize their lives.
		Moral progress happens when someone says, our existing moral code falls short of the moral truth; hence it needs to be adjusted.
	www.mit.edu /~shaslang/2400-01/moralrelativ01.html (1443 words)

	A Defense of Moral Objectivism
		However, it is my goal to defend a modest form of moral objectivism (or “moral realism”, if you like) and address some of the most common objections leveled against moral objectivism by relativists or other noncongnitivists in general.
		Even renowned moral skeptics such as J.L. Mackie have admitted that the ordinary use of moral terms involves the belief on the part of the speaker that he is referring to such (real) properties.
		The moral skeptic would have to argue that we are in fact conscious of something else when we think we are conscious of moral principles, but this path of argumentation would be quite difficult.
	www.angelfire.com /biz2/sexydood/philpaper1.html (3927 words)

	withallyourmind.net » Why Moral Relativism Fails and Moral Objectivism Succeeds
		Moral relativism claims that there are no such things as objective moral values.
		Moral relativism and objective evil cannot both be true at the same time.
		But these fruits, in their contextuality, are not some ‘contact’ with some objective moral sphere, but are part of a non-objectifiable grasp of the situation, of phronesis, to borrow from Aristotle (the first Virtue ethicist).
	withallyourmind.net /archives/2007/why-moral-relativism-fails-and-moral-objectivism-succeeds (1990 words)

	Relativism, Objectivism, and Judging:Hauptli's 02/11/04 IDH 2004 Lecture
		Huck's (bad) morality, and his conscience, tell him that turning Jim in is the right thing to do, and in the story he sets off to do exactly that, but Jim's praise of Huck's friendship and assistance, his sympathy, distracts him from his duty.
		Moral objectivism is not, of course, the only option on the horizon.
		Moral relativism is a seemingly easy position to hold intellectually, but practically-speaking it is nearly impossible to maintain.
	www.fiu.edu /~hauptli/Relativism,Objectivism,andJudging.html (3886 words)

	Book Review
		The problem with objectivism, ultimately, is that “fundamentally different intuitions lay at the root of each traditionally objectivist view about moral values, and our long-standing inability to adjudicate such differences by appealing to common intuitions that we all might somehow share makes it decidedly difficult to argue comfortably for objective moral values.” (77)
		Objectivism certainly requires a kind of universality, a universality of application: anyone of normal human faculties, in ordinary circumstances, will be covered by an objective principle.
		He might be arguing, in other words, that the disjunct between morality and happiness, immorality and unhappiness, is entirely explained by the operations of luck — and thus that the only rational strategy for the person desiring happiness is to be moral.
	www.humboldt.edu /~essays/garmongrev.html (1046 words)

	Metamagician and the Hellfire Club: Nagel has this wrong - on moral objectivism (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		It's true, no doubt, that moral systems typically enjoin us to treat other people as having some sort of worth that is to be respected, but we are talking here about whether anything like that already exists outside of moral systems and somehow provides a foundation for them.
		Speaking from inside a moral system into which he has been socialised, Nagel may well feel uncomfortable with the thought that human lives are of no objective moral value, but this debate is not about what sort of value or "worth" is somehow assigned to us by a moral system that we already accept.
		We may sometimes speak about people having "moral worth", if we have internalised a moral system that uses such terminology, but once we step outside of all moral systems and ask what this "worth" really amounts to, then it is dificult to see that it refers to anything that actually exists independently of our invention.
	metamagician3000.blogspot.com /2007/01/nagel-has-this-wrong-on-moral.html (1736 words)

	"it's Practical Because It's Moral" - Objectivism Online Forum (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		I'm reasonably versed in Objectivism, but I still don't think I fully grasp the meaning of the phrase "It's practical because it's moral." This is usually used referring to law i.e.
		Because Objectivism has a natural view on morality, morality obviously is practical because it is in accordance with nature.
		Objectivism would say that it is terrible in practice BECAUSE it is terrible in theory.
	www.objectivismonline.net /forum/index.php?showtopic=1968 (470 words)

	The Ayn Rand Institute: Essentials of Objectivism
		Objectivism is an integrated system of thought that defines the abstract principles by which a man must think and act if he is to live the life proper to man. Ayn Rand first portrayed her philosophy in the form of the heroes of her best-selling novels, The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957).
		Reason is man's only means of acquiring knowledge." Thus Objectivism rejects mysticism (any acceptance of faith or feeling as a means of knowledge), and it rejects skepticism (the claim that certainty or knowledge is impossible).
		This is the choice that controls all the choices you make and determines your life and character."Thus Objectivism rejects any form of determinism, the belief that man is a victim of forces beyond his control (such as God, fate, upbringing, genes, or economic conditions).
	www.aynrand.org /site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_essentials&printer_friendly=1 (639 words)

	FAQ: Ayn Rand's Philosophy of Objectivism
		Since Objectivism answers the fundamental questions that Plato posed on the nature of the universe, of the mind, of human life on this earth and man's life in society, it is also a Western philosophy.
		The most complete collection of the works of major interpreters of Objectivism and of works which support the values of reason, individual achievement, and individual rights and capitalism may be found at: Second Renaissance Books 143 West Street, P.O. Box 1988 New Milford, CT 06776 For information, call 800-757-6149, or fax (203) 355-7160.
		Objectivism courses: "The Philosophy of Objectivism" -- 12 lecture introductory course presented in 1976 with Ayn Rand in the QandA "Understanding Objectivism" -- 12 Lecture course.
	www.faqs.org /faqs/objectivism/faq (3987 words)

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