Precisely. Science can tell us that an axe will cut off someone's head. Something else is needed to tell us whether and when it is ethical to do that. That will be morality & this comes from our brains.
Yes, we have already agreed that and agreed that these are devised using the capacity of brains. What do you think we disagree on?
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Well, I was just saying, from the very beginning that it's not only scientific facts that create our moral values, and they can't do it alone, since you have to have a moral system in place to select among them. Okay?
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Oh god! If you're not going to explain what you mean by this and if it differs from what we've all just agreed is true - that this system comes from brains and the neuroscience explains it - we'll just have to accept there is no disagreement.
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Well, I suppose that, at least between you and I, there's no disagreement. But, look, let's pick up Sam Harris' argument that we can derive our moral values from scientific facts that we know, and we don't need anything else. Here's the problem, and with this I don't agree.
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But where does he say this? He says there are real facts that can be known about the wellbeing and suffering of conscious creatures and he sets this as the bar (values) and he accepts that this all - the suffering/wellbeing, reason & morality - comes from our brains. Like us.
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Oh, no, but he clearly says that we can derive moral values exclusively from scientific facts. Come on. He even tries to ridicule moral philosophy in his book, The Moral Landscape.
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In a different way from what we've just said? That we have innate morality, consistent drives to avoid suffering & achieve wellbeing and that there are real facts we can know about how to do this?
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Look, the problem here is that he clearly states that we can create moral values out of scientific facts alone. He even says so in the debate that has been shared here. But I will share it again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY1232gqfdA …
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We have agreed that everything comes down to a scientific fact tho! There are layers! This is silly, I'm not repeating myself any more. You'll just say 'but how do you select facts? You need values' & then admit values comes from our brains which is a scientific fact. Enough now.
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