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What, Then?

I’ve seen utilitarians and relativists argue pretty aggressively that there is no absolute moral truth. Sure. Fine. But then if there is no absolute truth or morality then by what principle can you argue that utilitarianism or relativism are themselves true (and by extension any more worthy of following than any particular other “-ism”)?

One Response to “What, Then?”

  1. Rod says:

    Utilitarianism springs from egalitarianism, where the greatest good for the greatest number is the perfect excuse for letting democracy run wild and rule tyrannically over the minority — the rich. One big problem is one must define various goods and then quantify them. Those quantities are hard to measure, so wild ass guessing suffices in a utilitarian’s arguments. Also, without any absolutes to set standards for goods and bads, utilitarians are morally lost. Their bad.

    Relativism has great appeal for college students who, after persuading young ladies to see their etchings and pouring a few glasses of wine, can overcome any objection arising from the recall of the Ten Commandments.

    Now, I did a fair amount of reading Nietche’s writings, but in my old age I no longer worry about the supermen who created values for the rest of us.

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