Posted by David on January 10, 1997 at 06:33:39:
In Reply to: Constructive/Destructive as moral standard? posted by Jonathan T. Schmidt on January 10, 1997 at 01:07:34:
: Consider the application of "Constructive vs Destructive"
: as a decision criteria for all moral decisions.
: Can anyone think of a "moral question" that have
: generaly been answered by religion that could not
: be answered at least as well by weighing the decision
: on it merit in these terms?
: 1. How constructive it is
: 2. How destructive it is
: Include potential, long and short term impact, also
: include Con/destruction of trust, communication etc.
: I am thinking this through on all the current issues of
: our time and prefer this value system so far.
: Can this replace the terms "good and evil"?
How about some of the consequences of Genetic Engineering. Most people believe that you will soon be able to genetically engineer smarter, stronger, healthier etc children (constructive), however, at least initially this will only be available to the privileged and rich. A lot of people would say that this is morally wrong (including religion?) even though it is constructive.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that you can construct a value system that does not depend on religion, I just think that it needs to be broader than constructive/destructive.