Moral trump card: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:12, 26 December 2023

Regardless of whether they realize it or not, any system of ethics has an implied ethical calculus.

Anything considered an absolute moral good or evil within an ethical system, where it is unacceptable under any circumstances, can be considered to have infinite moral value in the utilitarian ethical calculation. The presence of infinity really messes with your equations, as anyone familiar with math knows. In reality there are no infinities in utilitarianism because any action can only have a finite impact on human happiness. Except maybe blowing up the planet. Killing every living thing would be infinitely bad. Everything else is finite.

In the quality of life versus quantity of life moral quandary, the notion of "thou shalt not kill" is the quintessential moral trump card. If the fetus counts as a human life, then abortion is murder, and you can't beat murder so we take the trick.

These moral absolutes often lead to morally outrageous outcomes while bolstering the believer with a false sense of righteousness. By playing the trump card, they appear to be taking a principled moral stance, when they actually just lack nuance.

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 Regardless of whether they realize it or not, any system of ethics has an implied [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_calculus ethical calculus].
-Anything considered an absolute moral good or evil within an ethical system, where it is unacceptable under any circumstances, can be considered to have [[infinite]] moral value.
+Anything considered an absolute moral good or evil within an ethical system, where it is unacceptable under any circumstances, can be considered to have [[infinite]] moral value in the [[utilitarian]] ethical calculation. The presence of infinity really messes with your equations, as anyone familiar with math knows. In [[reality]] there are no infinities in [[utilitarianism]] because any action can only have a finite impact on human [[happiness]]. Except maybe blowing up the planet. Killing every living thing would be infinitely bad. Everything else is finite.
 In the [[quality of life versus quantity of life]] moral quandary, the notion of "thou shalt not kill" is the quintessential moral [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_(card_games) trump card]. If the fetus counts as a human life, then abortion is murder, and you can't beat murder so we [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-taking_game take the trick].
-Given that these moral absolutes serve as a  that so often leads to morally outrageous outcomes while bolstering the believer with a false sense of moral righteousness, to the point that you will even elect [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump Trump] who is the embodiment of moral outrage and false righteousness in their service, they will be referred to here as a "Trump good".
+These [[moral]] absolutes often lead to morally outrageous outcomes while bolstering the believer with a false sense of righteousness. By playing the trump card, they appear to be taking a principled moral stance, when they actually just lack nuance.