this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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[–] [email protected] -2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Fair, but that argument stops working when it’s a large portion of a society. Our understandings of right and wrong are somewhat a social construct, and so subject to social change. All it really requires is a variation of ‘us v them’ mentality for most people to accept it as fact.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

that argument stops working when it’s a large portion of a society.

Not the person you responded to, but I'd disagree with that. I'd say that if a large portion of a society can be said to be insane, then that doesn't change the standard for sanity - it just means that the society itself is insane.

Our understandings of right and wrong are somewhat a social construct, and so subject to social change.

Only reasonably within a particular range. There are points beyond which societal notions of right and wrong become self-defeating, and thus irrational at best.

For instance, if one holds that the killing of innocents is such an egregious wrong that it justifies the killing of innocents, then one has created a closed loop in which every purportedly justified killing in turn becomes a wrong that purportedly justifies the next killing, which in turn becomes a wrong that purportedly justifies the next killing, and so on, endlessly.

That's rather obviously irrational at best, and arguably insane, since it justifies that which it condemns and condemns that which it justifies. And that's the case entirely regardless of how many or how few people believe it.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Have you considered the possibility that the majority of people are shitty and/or psychopaths?

Like most people will hear about companies using child slaves in impoverished countries and the biggest reaction is what, a boycott? Even that's a minority of people, most just keep on truckin' as if we don't live in a disgusting fucked up world.

When's the last time you heard about that Apple factory where people were regularly committing suicide? Why does Nestlé still exist despite widespread public knowledge of all the horrible shit they've pulled?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

majority of people are shitty and/or psychopaths

Bruh, that sound like either projection or very bad place you live in.