Redfox8
@Redfox8@mander.xyz
- Comment on Without the precursor of Spirituality and Religion, there can be no morality. 1 day ago:
Quite possibly, I’m a devout athiest so don’t even begin to think in any religious or spiritual terms (could you tell?!)
But yes, I certainly agree with that statement without argument. Thanks for the discussion :)
- Comment on Without the precursor of Spirituality and Religion, there can be no morality. 1 day ago:
Haha, I thought you’d say that! Well no, given how widspread and old religion and spiritually is that’s not possible for anyone but a child raised by wolves to say it hasn’t been an influence!
My centre point of discussion is to look back before, wayyyy before any of these ideas could be cultivated. I feel that you are starting somewhere at a point where these morals are in the process of being developed and refined, if in early days, so your arguments are somewhat self supporting (happy to be corrected, just the impression I’m getting).
You say there’s no point in discussing what cannot be proven with evidence…well that makes this whole discussion somewhat defunct then unfortunately!! I’d already written the below so I’ll leave it should you wish to discuss further despite this :)
You say it was necessary for formation of larger social groups etc but…I go back to my basic starting point of “I don’t like…” As you say there needs to be discussion, development and unity of belief for it to become a recognisable, repeatable, lasting moral system. But that just demonstrates my point that basic, individualistic morals came first then once complex language started to develop then shared likes and dislikes become more prevalent. Imagine what it was like before? Just take a look at chimpanzees.
The developement of shared beliefs, religious or otherwise, will no doubt have occurred simultaneously. Overlapping, replacing and morphing over millions of generations. Some ideas being discarded/diminished as other new ones arose - e.g. that great 1 in 1000 year volcano eruption replacing the end of the 20 year flood occurance, to use my natural disaster example again.
But “I don’t like…” is still the starting point for pretty much any discussion about morals as far as I believe.
- Comment on Without the precursor of Spirituality and Religion, there can be no morality. 1 day ago:
Glad you took the time to read this. The paragraph “Religion likely evolved by building on morality, introducing supernatural agents to encourage cooperation and restrain selfishness, which enhanced group survival. Additionally, emotions like disgust play a key evolutionary role in moral judgments by helping to avoid threats to health, reproduction, and social cohesion.” Describes much of what I’ve discussed so far. Though my thoughts re disasters is omitted. I think that they are very significant if you look at e.g. Roman and Greek gods.
You say that it’s required to bring together larger populations, but plant cultivation - the beginnings of farming will be far more significant.
As a slightly sideways thought, take a look at e.g. African tribal social structures - relatively small population groups (villages) may exists with low/intermittent positive interaction (not fighting over resources), but can still share similar or near identical spiritual beliefs and moral codes. I.e. one does not automatically determine the other. They can develop side by side or independently.
- Comment on Without the precursor of Spirituality and Religion, there can be no morality. 1 day ago:
I’d disagree with that as well. I believe that “why did that storm happen?” “Why did drought kill everyone?” Etc - “the spirits and gods are angry!” As an answer in the absence of the level of scientific knowledge to expain it is the starting point.
Bear in mind that these questions will have existed before complex language developed. And you can’t develop a widespread religion without consistant communication. You can’t form the concept of a spirit or god without generations of discussion.
- Comment on Without the precursor of Spirituality and Religion, there can be no morality. 1 day ago:
Some came from religious teaching, but mostly I got my moral code from my peers and personal experience. I very much start with treating others as I’d be happy/like to be treated. If you follow that principal to start with then most other morals fall into place.
Not sure what you’re getting at about how far back you have to go but perhaps I can head off that discussion by saying that most morals can exist in the absence of religion and spirituality.
Re your second question. No. And I doubt anyone has, but that’s because morals form a part of religious beliefs. As I discussed, morals first then religion based morals after.
Religion or spirituality of some form or another has existed for as long as we have any detailed information on any societies. The main problem with this discussion is that spiritual, religious and plain moral beliefs long predate any written language system so we can’t refer to any solid evidence.
If you start with “I don’t like that” as a simplistic moral, then that predates any language as well and therefore spirtuality or religion.
- Comment on Without the precursor of Spirituality and Religion, there can be no morality. 1 day ago:
I also disagree. All you need is to say “I don’t want/like that” and to understand that something could be lost or suffered to yourself or others, given a particular scenario. That can then be used to create a system of morality where the majority are in agreement with each aspect.
Oh and empathy. That’s pretty critical!
I’d say that spirituality and religion is then formed off the back of and alongside general or universal moral beliefs and that many aspects cannot exist without morals in the first place.
- Comment on Evolution made us cheats, now free-riders run the world and we need to change 2 weeks ago:
I stopped reading st the use of the word ‘alphas’…
- Comment on Why is there such a negative connotation with the poos of horses, bulls, and bats? 2 weeks ago:
Iirc, the phrase “bat shit crazy” comes from the harvesting of tropical bat guano (poop) for use as a fertliser. The poop is highly toxic, or contains toxic bacteria, which makes the harvesters go a little crazy! Not all bat species have this toxic poop.
- Comment on Bookmark 5 weeks ago:
Missed a trick there, should be reading James Herberts ‘The Rats’!
- Comment on Common British L 1 month ago:
Go to Scotland and taste the joys of a deep fried Mars bar, now you’re talking!
- Comment on DJ Butcher 1 month ago:
This was his version of flossing, he had killer dance moves behind the decks.
- Comment on Anyone remember how popular the group Head Cleaner was? 2 months ago:
The hidden tracks were the best!
- Comment on The consequences (of my actions) have been extreme 3 months ago:
Exactly! Which was my original point that this ‘power thing’ is about using/tied to abusive/instluting behaviour rather than something separate.
- Comment on The consequences (of my actions) have been extreme 3 months ago:
No, the discussion was not about whether different words were of equal or differing offensiveness. My discussion is about what saying ‘it’s a power thing’ actually means and how it relates to abusive behaviour.
- Comment on but what happened to logsday? 3 months ago:
I still remember Domesday, it only happened the once before ‘they’ covered it up. I’ll never forget it, so many questions.
- Comment on The consequences (of my actions) have been extreme 3 months ago:
So, if you were to replace ‘cocksucker’ with ‘towelhead’, slut, Yid, or Nig*** would that still just be a power thing?
Not that it actually makes a difference. This ‘power thing’ you refer to is controlling abuse for self interest. Introducing a predudice is just a way of trying to justify and/or hide the abuse.
- Comment on Where to find help for a game name 3 months ago:
I don’t know Gaaga, Xenon & Xenon 2, Megablast was my Atari ST era. I remember the soundtrack/music being very good for that time.
- Comment on Where to find help for a game name 3 months ago:
Well I hit the right era, didn’t expect it to be that old! The game you describe does sound very familar, I’msure I’ve played it…now you’ve got my aging memory working away!
- Comment on Where to find help for a game name 3 months ago:
Megablast!
- Comment on Where to find help for a game name 3 months ago:
Horace goes skiing?
- Comment on Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya 7 months ago:
From what I know about the Mayans, I suspect few other places on earth would require it or be able to facilitate it. IIRC don’t think there are many, if any, rivers in the Yucatan peninsula, it’s very flat - though there are underground rivers that cut through the limestone bedrock. I expect almost everywhere else has rivers and lakes to not need to build anything or is too hot or dry, rainfall wise to maintain something like that. It’s not that far from the sea though, which is interesting, so maybe the type of fish hunted were a specialty?
- Comment on Petrichor 7 months ago:
At 45 i consider myself to have reached Pro-am status.
- Comment on Optimisation is a Slow Process 7 months ago:
I believe the receptor cell responds to a particular part of the molecule in question. Artificial flavourings and scents have identical (or similar enough) parts to trigger the same response, but are otherwise different molecules.
- Comment on WILD 7 months ago:
But what came first? The jellyfish or the egg??!!
- Comment on It's the spherical chicken of legend! Somebody get the frictionless vacuum! 8 months ago:
So do you
- Comment on That hurts a little 8 months ago:
Alien in 1979…
- Comment on Should i be giving a shit about my posture? 8 months ago:
I spend too much time at my pc or driving so get lower back pain. I recently found this workout that’s really good. It’s challenging but really works well! I sometimes have to ease back a little, especially on the last part, but it still helps.
Apologies, I can’t remember how/where to get alternative YT links.