tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post5674271597058257453..comments2024-03-28T09:11:30.629-04:00Comments on alien romances: Things We Take For Granted: MoralityRowena Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-40414109614070137032009-02-22T16:31:00.000-05:002009-02-22T16:31:00.000-05:00C. S. Lewis in THE ABOLITION OF MAN makes an excel...C. S. Lewis in THE ABOLITION OF MAN makes an excellent case that the moral law is essentially the same worldwide and cross-culturally. There are many variations in details, of course, but every known society has standards of sexual behavior, values of altruism and fairness, etc. The differences fall into areas such as fine-tuning whom we're obligated to be altruistic toward, who the allowed and forbidden sexual partners are, etc. A radically "different" moral system (Lewis' example is one in which a person would be commended for being openly proud of cheating and abusing everybody who treated him kindly) simply doesn't exist in our species. The one example I've heard of, where there's no ethical system and everybody behaves with unbridled selfishness and cruelty, even between spouses and from parents to children, is the exception that "proves" (i.e., "tests") the rule. It's a small remnant of a tribal culture, the name of which I can't remember now; the oldest people in the group remember a time when kindness and moral behavior existed among them, before desperate conditions caused the fabric of their moral code to disintegrate. Somebody here probably remembers the name of that tribe.Margaret Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08293021955480708191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-88392785520250599722009-02-22T14:02:00.000-05:002009-02-22T14:02:00.000-05:00Jacqueline,I think several of us are psychic on on...Jacqueline,<BR/><BR/>I think several of us are psychic on one level or another! This happens too often to be a coincidence.<BR/><BR/>Then again, "Moral Hazard" is a hot topic everywhere, especially since Rick Santelli's rant.<BR/><BR/>Well, on-blog discussions between us are really cool, especially since we don't all agree on all things, so I'm really looking forward to your blog on Tuesday!Rowena Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-13199209338540255332009-02-22T13:29:00.000-05:002009-02-22T13:29:00.000-05:00And I just started thinking about my Tuesday post ...And I just started thinking about my Tuesday post and came up with a thing on morality (and a dash of ethics) and how society is changing because-because-because!!! <BR/><BR/>You guys must be psychic or something. But this should be an interesting week on AlienRomances! <BR/><BR/>Jacqueline Lichtenberg<BR/>http://www.simegen.com/jl/Jacqueline Lichtenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613040740264804278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-78387999800853914562009-02-22T13:13:00.000-05:002009-02-22T13:13:00.000-05:00Michele,Thank you for your comment. The trolley ca...Michele,<BR/>Thank you for your comment. The trolley car example... well, we'd all like to find a third way... but it reminded me of the Grace Jones scene in A View To A Kill.<BR/><BR/>I really enjoyed Grace Jones's acting, and her singing. I'm sorry we don't see and hear more of her!<BR/><BR/>STAR TREK was and is amazing. And, have you seen Heather's clips of Captain Kirk doing a sleazy dramatization of "It Was A Very Good Year"?<BR/><BR/>Deadly. <BR/><BR/>I don't think Bill Shatner should have done that. Not in Kirk-like clothing, anyway, even if he is a brilliant actor.<BR/><BR/>(Not that I am saying he is...)Rowena Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-41784127330013691252009-02-22T12:58:00.000-05:002009-02-22T12:58:00.000-05:00Hmmm, don't forget the Spartans where it was again...Hmmm, don't forget the Spartans where it was against the law to abstain from sex.<BR/><BR/>The quandry as to the trolley car and the hospital patient. <BR/>Both are tough. <BR/><BR/>I have to say...and it may sounds cruel. But the five...are stupid enough to stand on a trolly track in the first place. There's a chance not all will die. But they are stupid. I say shout and warn them. The innocent guy? why should he pay for someone else's stupidity?<BR/><BR/>The Doctor? That's playing god when you take a life and justifying it would be saving others. <BR/>I'm not sure if it is Night Secrets or Night Fall by Cherry Adiar, but she touches base on the killing for body parts and it was disgusting. Not as abhorrent as the fact that it really DOES go on. That is even worse.<BR/>So No. If they can't find a recent cadavor with a donor card,they have no right whatsoever to snuff out the life of an innocent. <BR/><BR/>In fact I find that situation more... disgusting than the other...because the MD would have demeaned life to a bunch of body parts. Somewhere along the line, it will be about the money and production and not the Hippocratic Oath, which he violated from the very moment he entertained the idea of killing the innocent health man.<BR/><BR/>That's my opinion...and I also think the Morality has a lot of gray area. It shouldn't but we're human and we are full of it.<BR/><BR/>Oh..and as for Sci-Fi being a way to address politically hot topics? The original Star Trek was AWESOME at doing that.<BR/><BR/>I"m going to copy/past this your FB comment too...just because dialogue about things like this prevent it from being swept under the rug because it makes people uncomfortable. With the questions and with their own answers...Michelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08573730655117969888noreply@blogger.com