General Discussion

randome

(34,845 posts)

17. Emotions do factor into our decisions.

Thu May 2, 2013, 10:35 AM

May 2013

Like it or not, many of our morals and ethics are part and parcel of being human. They are conditioned by culture and upbringing but they are already a fundamental part of our psyches in the same way that our kidneys are a fundamental part of our anatomy.

That doesn't mean we don't use our intelligence and logic to determine our actions. There is a balancing act to perform. Logic should not always be ascendant. Our emotions should not always be ascendant.

But thinking a culture is wrong for discriminating against women, for virtually enslaving them, is, to me, a 'no-brainer', meaning I do little in the way of analyzing why I 'should' feel that way. I suppose that's one of those few times when I let emotion carry the day.

Our Declaration of Independence is based on 'self-evident truths', not a structured analysis of why America was 'better' than Britain.

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Some cultures ARE wrong [View all] Uzair May 2013 OP

To judge something wrong you have to have a standard aristocles May 2013 #1

No one needs to have a standard or a thesis or a flow chart. We are not robots. randome May 2013 #3

I am guessing that your gripe with robots has something to do with HereSince1628 May 2013 #13

Emotions do factor into our decisions. randome May 2013 #17

The Declaration of Independence is based on the opinions of one group The2ndWheel May 2013 #25

Yes exactly. Homo sapiens behavior relies tremendously upon acquired information HereSince1628 May 2013 #28

We don't need no stinkin' standards ...... oldhippie May 2013 #7

Do no harm. -nt CrispyQ May 2013 #11

That's a surprisingly thorny issue for a heterotrophic species HereSince1628 May 2013 #20

Agreed, it is. CrispyQ May 2013 #43

or more aptly, Do know harm. smart post galileoreloaded May 2013 #83

My standard is the facts Uzair May 2013 #23

Those are not facts, just data aristocles May 2013 #40

Actually, data are facts. DanTex May 2013 #47

Data are unanalyzed, unorganized, unjudged. Facts have been analyzed, weighed, and judged. aristocles May 2013 #64

Equality bhikkhu May 2013 #38

Most people have a standard, but just can't necessarily express it cogently. Bake May 2013 #45

Ridiculous assertion. Who needs a "standard" to know that dead children is the wrong outcome? sibelian May 2013 #48

The "wrongness" comes from you, not the culture. ZombieHorde May 2013 #2

So what is your opinion on America's alcohol culture? hack89 May 2013 #4

Alcohol is an indirect cause of misery. randome May 2013 #10

I don't need you to tell me to question my ways, premium May 2013 #5

Sorry, but Americans, especially on this board, are constantly being told to "question their ways" whathehell May 2013 #30

Hey, I'm all for butting out of other peoples/countries lives. premium May 2013 #44

Yep. whathehell May 2013 #67

Not. Quite. Sure. premium May 2013 #68

Okay, I was a little unsure myself. whathehell May 2013 #72

Yes, I was born and raised in the U.S., premium May 2013 #75

Okay, I understand. whathehell May 2013 #76

Maybe, premium May 2013 #77

Okay, but I do believe that a four or five year old kid is WAY too young to be handling guns. whathehell May 2013 #78

And I agree that 4 or 5 is too young to be handling a firearm premium May 2013 #79

We seem to be in agreement, then. n/t whathehell May 2013 #80

You shouldn't. sibelian May 2013 #49

Of course you are comfortable with it laundry_queen May 2013 #31

No, I believe in freedom of choice to choose how I live, premium May 2013 #41

Well, the abuse of the word "freedom" certainly is a right-wing thing. DanTex May 2013 #50

You have the freedom to think what you want, premium May 2013 #52

Well that's a strange non sequitur. DanTex May 2013 #53

Yeah, after I hit the post my reply tab, premium May 2013 #55

Of course you should be able to raise your kids how you want to. DanTex May 2013 #56

Ok, I got it. premium May 2013 #57

That's interesting considering right and wrong are culturally derived kudzu22 May 2013 #6

There are few moral absolutes, but I think most here would agree that killing people on the basis whathehell May 2013 #32

The belief that right and wrong are culturally derived is itself culturally derived. DanTex May 2013 #58

Well, it's wrong in our culture. kudzu22 May 2013 #62

Wrong and right are culturally derived aristocles May 2013 #8

If you were a Saudi man, you mean. Therein lies a great deal of disconnect, I think. randome May 2013 #9

I meant that...If I were a Saudi man nt aristocles May 2013 #12

Thank you. I pointed out the same fact whathehell May 2013 #82

Sure, just like slavery culture was a good thing if one was a rich plantation owner geek tragedy May 2013 #15

If that was your culture you would consider it right aristocles May 2013 #16

Objectively, there is nothing of value in humanity, Earth, or the universe. geek tragedy May 2013 #21

So, if there are no objective values how do you evaluate anything? n/t aristocles May 2013 #24

By not worrying about the lack of objective values. nt geek tragedy May 2013 #29

And so your evaluations are meaningless, unless you can convince others to evaluate the same way aristocles May 2013 #34

My opinions have meaning to me. geek tragedy May 2013 #36

We're discussing how you evaluate something...not your opinions. n/t aristocles May 2013 #37

Quite so. whathehell May 2013 #85

"If I were a Saudi, the lower status of women would be right". Maybe not if you were a woman whathehell May 2013 #35

Certain elements of every culture can be labeled 'wrong' but it gets into geek tragedy May 2013 #14

agreed. one has to recognize that one's idea of a culture.. Phillip McCleod May 2013 #18

Religion is so interwoven with SA culture, it's difficult to see the trees for the forest. randome May 2013 #19

Yeah, what part is religion and what part is cultural practice that has become identified geek tragedy May 2013 #22

If a practice harms no one, it should be ignored. randome May 2013 #26

Welcome to DU Turborama May 2013 #27

I completely agree with you get the red out May 2013 #33

How does that make you any better than the "culture" that decided native cultures were inferior? DonP May 2013 #39

Why do we need to be 'better'? randome May 2013 #42

I was brought up by parents that felt abelenkpe May 2013 #46

Just wait. All cultures will die out eventually and new good and bad cultures will start. cbdo2007 May 2013 #51

I would say ALL cultures are wrong, some more than others. bemildred May 2013 #54

There's nothing wrong with pointing out certain bad things about certain cultures. DanTex May 2013 #60

It is entirely possible, on the other hand, to criticize the bad things without bemildred May 2013 #63

Yes it is. n/t whathehell May 2013 #81

Thank you for the hit-and-run shitstirring flamebait, lol. Enjoy your stay. kestrel91316 May 2013 #59

you should put that in a sig line Kali May 2013 #61

I actually laughed out loud. pintobean May 2013 #65

... Kali May 2013 #66

Well said marions ghost May 2013 #69

another authoritarian "for the children" spiel. at least you are consistent. n/t galileoreloaded May 2013 #70

I think that the bottom line is that if you are harming another human being smirkymonkey May 2013 #71

It's possible to condemn certain practices BainsBane May 2013 #73

Would it be easier to state that just about ALL cultures have both relative wrongs & rights? nt MrScorpio May 2013 #74

I say to each their own. Knightraven May 2013 #84