Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Ok , firstly thanks to Sam, Phil and Felly for their contributions so far. I do find it hard to join the comments during the day as I am not supposed to use the internet as part of my duties as pondlife first class for the uk's largest general insurer. However I will do what I can, when I can.

In an attempt to push our discussions on, I thought I might post on a few different topics over the coming days and people can either comment on ignore them as they see fit.

So here goes.

Martin Luther King (probably my greatest hero (and I have a few!!)) said "the arc of the moral universe is long but it tends towards justice".

Is he right, is there a Universal moral code (here I mean universal in both senses of the word) could people from all cultures, countries, eras and perhaps even planets(!!??) agree on what is right and what is wrong. How many times do we hear 'I know whats right and wrong' trotted out by people?

From my previous offerings I guess it will come as no surprise that I do think there is an overarching moral core to the reality we exist in. I base much of my thinking in this area, on books I have read by Richard Holloway, the former bishop of Edinburgh. He is well worth a read on most subjects but this is his area.

If like me you think that we as humans have a natural instinct for right and wrong, than where does this instinct originate? Is it in the genes from evolutionary developments or is it an inescapable byproduct of our unique(to Earth at least) consciousness? or is it something else?

Connected to this issue is an old challenge which I have had thrown my way many times over the years.

If I could travel back in time and in doing so met a young Adolf Hitler, would I kill him knowing what we know now of his future. Well I must say that I would be very very tempted. However in the end I don't think I could do it. but if anyone harmed my family.............

1 comment:

Paul Richardson said...

Richard - I like Lesmiz as well Ruth and I have seen it 4 time London, Manchester and Bradfordx2. I also like the bit where the Bishop sticks to his principles and says here, you've had the knives and forks - but you forgot the candlesticks, in order to save Vlajean from being arrested. Also the Lad in Liverpool who was murdered recently. He turned the other cheek and walked away when first abused buy his eventual killers.

I note that neither of you (phil or felly) have tackled the Hitler problem!? (yet)

Also I want to repeat the point about our instinctive 'feel' for right and wrong (or correct/incorrect) I have felt this many times. Am I alone? where does it come from?

Lets imagine that The Earth is the only planet in the universe which sustains life. When life was largely a collection of tiny simple cell structures etc, was there an overarching moral code then? or is it simply a Human or life based construct?