Rational base for morals

KPJ (kpj@sics.se)
Mon, 11 Jan 1999 17:28:40 +0100

It appears as if Samael <Samael@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
|
|Can you tell me how I can, in good faith, follow a moral code when I believe
|there is no logical reason to do so?
|Especially when nobody has yet even managed to come up with a logical
|objection to rape (which pretty much everyone on the planet admits is an
|abbhorence (sic)).

I suggest that the meme rules of conduct be commutative.

Commutativity: If the rule is "X shall not perform act P on Y"

then also the rule "Y shall not perform act P on X" shall hold.

Simply put: "A rule apply to all in the same manner."

If you postulate this basic rule of commutativity then you would conclude:

     "If X does not want Y to perfom act P on X
      then X should avoid to perform act P on Y."
      [e.g. to avoid retaliation]

Simply put: "Do not to others what you do not wish them do to you."

Avoid microwaving children. Others may dislike it and microwave you in turn.