Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Virtue Ethics

I keep on reading about the resurgence of virtue ethics, about Aristotle and social norms. I do not understand how normative ethics can be divorced from metaethics? Why are so many people so keen to distance the choices we make from any kind of reasonable justification? It baffles me that many people who make this move are atheists; they are not clearing the ground for religion, they seem to think that "It feels good to most of us so it must be 'good'". Is this sociobiology gone mad?
This evening the BBC's PM programme was a litany of muslims whingeing about how their belief system deserves respect. Time and again we heard how a social group defined by its idiot reliance on the dodgy record of the sayings of a self-serving tribal chief takes umbrage when others suggest that their reliance on dogma for their normative ethics is deluded and dangerous. They regard faith as a virtue. Is it unreasonable to ask why? Is it any more unreasonable to ask for a metaethical justification for 'virtue' before allowing it free rein?

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Literary Stuff

My friend Carol leant me Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart". I read it on the journey from Manchester to Amsterdam and finished it in a wonderful Sardinian restaurant in Amsterdam. Dining alone is a pleasure when one has a great book and great food. The book describes the trials and tribulations of a 'noble savage', Okonkwo - very much a la Rouseaux. I felt that it was 'A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch' meets Evelyn Waugh's 'Decline and Fall'. Hearing 'The Other' is almost a postmodern cliche; but for WASPS everywhere I recommend this book as an aid to understanding many intertwining themes- relationships, power, motivation, celebrity and, in the end, nobility. For what it's worth, I felt that Okonkwo hung himself (assuming that he did) for the right reasons. Which of us would be so noble?

Monday, January 23, 2006

Gay Muslims

I have just sat through a TV programme that tests all my hopes for human reason. Islam - a mythology that in its dogma repudiates homosexuality. Homosexuality - an inherent sexual proclivity. Half a dozen people protesting that there is no conflict between Islam and homosexuality. Meh? Saying 'I am a gay muslim' is like saying 'I am a vegan blood sports enthusiast'. Cognitive dissonance. I have my own cognitive dissonance, I am a determinist who bothers to choose, but I humbly submit that my existential crisis pales into insignificance beside the gay muslim.. or, indeed, the reasonable Buddhist.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Theology 101

I am intrigued. What does a theologian study? Surely comparative religion is sociological, the existence of supernatural beings is philosophical metaphysics (or ontology?) and the development of religion(s) is history? What does a theologian study? How many angels can dance on the head of an imam? Is christian theology like the chemistry of nucleotides? Just a sub-set of the wider study of bio-theology? Have you got it yet? Can you see the absurdity?

Monday, January 09, 2006

Singing Horses

Courtesy of Merkin, this is very good...

Root of all Evil

I've just watched episode 1 of 'The Root of All Evil'. If Richard Dawkins is arrogant, and in my opinion he is almost too humble, then the religionists are frothingly rabid. I think it is time for a new crusade, it is time for a crusade of reason, and we must go armed with money and influence and we must fight for the minds of the young. And, you are not going to like this my enlightened friends, we must be prepared to use violence to defend ourselves from those who threaten us. Dead people make poor arguments. Martyrs only get sainted if there is a church to beatify them.