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Pure Logic-Realities of Moral Absolutes 1/13/2007 10:01:43 AM
Maybe it is Time for Our nation to accept a moral absolute when dealing with other nations. I always have been amazed at how absurd life can be when it comes to what people see, and how they interpret its significance. Take for example the wars that humanity have waged throughout the ages, Isn't it all about power and lusting after something someone else may have? Even in the realm of local city or town, often a group rises to claim to have an air of superiority in certain matters, but in reality, it is all smoke and mirrors. Whoever can convince the masses that they need a certain commodity often has the peoples attention at the moment. In retrospect the attention span of us citizens can wane quite fast. Wouldn't it be great if our President and world leaders stopped the bull by declaring war on hatred? Couldn't they allow sovereignty in nations internal matters, while gently warning them with a big stick. Then Imagine if nations actually helped nations in the farming Industry. Finally imagine if big industries would stop being robber barons by guiding the growing countries in their endeavors to become self-sufficient. These ideas sound simple In practice, but in truth, the heart of the matter lies deeper in mankind's denial of who we are and where we come from. Once again it revolves around nations accepting a moral absolute, and the acceptance of our actions. If all nations are governments responsible to one God, then perhaps our actions should reflect that premise?
Pure Logic can not always be used because of its denial by the masses. The dangers of introducing something which could economically or politically devastate a country is often a barrier. While the conclusion makes complete sense, its introduction as an invention or logical theory may in some instances be rejected because of bias. Hence we have in the past seen men who ideas were considered radical, yet with a proper applications of logic were perfectly workable. One just has to look at a man called
CHARLES BABBAGE and discover logic applied in the wrong time period can a cause for dismissal or mockery of ones idea. Charles was the inventor of the modern day computer."... Born December 26, 1791 in Teignmouth, Devonshire UK, Died 1871, London; Known to some as the "Father of Computing" for his contributions to the basic design of the computer through his Analytical machine..."(1) One of Charges Babbage's favorite writers was fellow philosopher William Whewell. He is noted for being the inventor of the word "Scientist" .
William Whewell and John Stuart Mill often debated on the substance of what was logical. "...Whewell claimed to be seeking a “middle way” between pure rationalism and ultra-empiricism. Whewell believed that gaining knowledge requires attention to both ideal and empirical elements, to ideas as well as sensations. These ideas, which he called “Fundamental Ideas,” are “supplied by the mind itself” — they are not (as Mill and Herschel protested) merely received from our observations of the world. Whewell explained that the Fundamental Ideas are “not a consequence of experience, but a result of the particular constitution and activity of the mind, which is independent of all experience in its origin, though constantly combined with experience in its exercise”(2)
The fundamental idea to John Stuart Mill left undefined ideas on the rubbish heap of history. "...Whatever is known to us by consciousness, is known beyond possibility of question. What one sees or feels, whether bodily or mentally, one cannot but be sure that one sees or feels. No science is required for the purpose of establishing such truths; no rules of art can render our knowledge of them more certain than it is in itself. There is no logic for this portion of our knowledge..." (3) So one can argue that logic itself can be misplaced if given before its time as in the case of CHARLES BABBAGE, or perceived as illogical if one group of philosophers deny its truth;, as in the cases of Empirical thought versus metaphysical thoughts.
Love for our fellow man may not always seem logical, it in fact sometimes seem downright dangerous. Take for instance allowing past atrocities such as Hitler to continue. The war was unpleasant , but the thought of allowing Israel to be harmed could not stand; for some of us they are the very people chosen by God to be a light for all nations. Our countries must reach a point where they accept that there is a higher power, one that involves a God of history and mankind. Finding that moral absolutes among the Tower of Religious Babel ultimately may mean we must adopt the incentive to finally accept that the ten commandments as not irrelevant absolutes at all.
