Through all the barriers we have overcome as a species this is one we still have a firm grip on,
I don't see why we hold so dear to the concept of wrong and right. At the end of the day all it does to the species is bring:
- separation of between humanity
- righteous pride
- unfairness
The most important one; it is too based on ones selfish need and too little for the benefit of others. Maybe it all boils down to the selfishness of humanity, but
if we keep this concept humanity is never going to come to terms with one another and I shudder to think what will happen when we get civilised in space.
Now I know if we do get rid of this something else will have to take its place. I am just speaking my mind here but I thought of the concept of Progression of Humanity and the Delay of humanity and we should have a common goal (e.g. to learn everything, or explore everywhere) so this concept stands true. It would be based on what makes humanity go froward(progress) and what makes us go backwards(delay).
Now I don't know anyway this can actually be countered but I may just blinded by my own thoughts. So if you see a counter to this then please do tell.
I don't know what peoples reactions are going to be to this, maybe you think I am just an idiot who shouldn't make these types of threads again or you may of found this to be interesting and a good read, nevertheless let me know what you think, thanks.
What an interesting topic, and a refresher from the usual fanboy flamers. Alas, I digress. The concept of 'right and wrong' at its core--how I see it--always been about the justification of human life and dignity. It is tied with our own sense of justice which that in itself can be influenced by our morality. Furthermore, our sense of morality is more often than not influenced, at least in some part, by any sense of spirituality/religious/(a)gnostic/(a)theists world view. They all tie in together; like pieces of a puzzle, or a pie chart. But that's not all.
Aside from the philosophical aspects, I have other bit more mundane reasons to disagree with your idea, particularly the bold part in the thread. From a Psychological perspective science has demonstrated our innate ability for compassion. And from an evolutionary and anthropological view, we are social animals. So why do compassion and sociability matter? Because they form the biological foundation for our cognitive development of the 'right and wrong' concepts, along with selfishness and greed; the biology is there for both, but our environment is what allows us to learn and expand on either spectrum, and in various degrees. In order for us to progress we as a species ought to focus more on the former (compassion & sociability) rather than the later (selfishness and greed), and not on subverting the concepts of 'right and wrong'. The issue arises when we are inevitably are confronted with Faith, which brings me to my last major point, and your list.
Believe it or not being part of a group gives us a sense of belonging, whether it's APA (American Psychological Association), a gang, a school, a fraternity, a club, or a Church/Mosque/Synagogue/Temple (to name a few), it empowers the individual with a sense of identity. None which has historically and/or culturally had a greater impact on human behavior than Faith. Sadly, it is the 1st thing I thought of when I read your 2 and 3 of your list. What greater group-identity has caused antagonism than one's world view. How many wars throughout the world has been caused by self-righteous over-piteousness? How much of such behavior judge as unfair due to it? Of course, these are rhetorical questions, but to drive through the point of Faith affecting beliefs and behavior I'm compelled to ask: what are your thoughts on abortion? homosexuality? rape? divorce? killing/murdering of another human being? respect? stealing? incest? lying? pedophilia? or even homosexual marriage? See my point? it's not always clear cut. Or it may be...
So in regards to the future progression of humanity it's not about foregoing the concepts of 'right and wrong,' because we can't. Rather, how we individuality overcome our own fallacies--usually through the interactions with others--regardless of our upbringing, and be compassionate, while juggling with today's meta-sets of human prevalence: philosophy, science, and faith. Maybe then our space civilization have a chance to progress even further, without loosing the freedom for dogma to a singular goal. Thanks for reading this looong essay (for a chat forum).
some science sources:
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PS-Not that it should matter, but I grew up in non-practicing catholic family, turned atheist before becoming agnostic; shortly explored Islamic/Muslim, and currently am a non-denominational Christian, who's pursuing a degree in physics/biomedical engineering in the dreams of becoming a medical doctor...but I'm soo lazy! ^_^ (I'm working on that. lol)
