Christopher E. Doss Moscow, Russian Federation
"Morality" simply means the belief that some actions (usually interpersonal ones) are bad, and some actions are good. "Moral beliefs" are the beliefs that some actions are bad, and some actions are good. For instance, telling the truth is good. Lying is bad. Helping the poor is good. Herding people into death camps is bad. Going to the grocery store for my aging grandmother because she is too weak to go on her own is good. Suffocating her with a pillow because I want to get her inheritance is bad.
These beliefs exist, and they motivate people (whether Carrol likes it or not). The origin of these beliefs is a completely different issue. They are real. Are they historically and culturally contingent? Of course. All beliefs are. So what?
--- On Sat, 7/25/09, Michael Pollak <mpollak at panix.com> wrote:
> From: Michael Pollak <mpollak at panix.com>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Blue Dogs cashing in
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Saturday, July 25, 2009, 5:16 PM
>
> On Sat, 25 Jul 2009, Michael Smith wrote:
>
> > What may be confusing Carrol, and is certainly
> confusing me, is this: what does "morality" mean to you if
> not "abstract universal principles"? Most of the philosophy
> of morals consists of trying to find a basis for such
> principles -- and it hasn't been a shining success.
>