We now continue considering the article Atheism Groups Grow on College Campuses, from which we are gleaning certain issue of interest. Find this whole series here.
If Adolf Hitler was on the side of absolute truth, ethics are in the eye of the beholder and he sought to survive as the fittest how can Dave condemn him? Upon what basis can Dave declare that Adolf Hitler was wrong? “Because I said so.”
This is either the greatest ethical hoax since Bill Clinton sought the meaning of “is” or, this is the bottomless pit into which atheism’s attempts at doing ethics has sunk.
Firstly, if Adolf Hitler was wrong just because Dave said so then, Adolf Hitler was right just because neo-Nazi’s say so. And now you see what it truly means to deny absolute truth and claim that ethics are in the eye of the beholder.
This is tantamount to arguing over ice cream flavors, which truly is an arbitrary and relative issue. Dave states that chocolate is the best because he says so and Mrs. X claims that vanilla is the best because she says so. Indeed, we realize that they may both think that their preferred flavor is the best but that there is no such thing as an objectively best ice cream flavor: these are mere opinions. And now you see what it truly means to deny absolute truth and claim that ethics are in the eye of the beholder.
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Moreover, on Dave’s view, Adolf Hitler was not actually wrong, it is just that Dave has chosen to express a view merely within the context of his own opinion. And since Dave’s own opinion does not, by his own view, reflect truly absolute truth then it is nothing more than an interpretation of bio-chemical neural reactions taking place within the gray matter of the bio-organism known as Dave. And now you see what it truly means to deny absolute truth and claim that ethics are in the eye of the beholder.
Furthermore, note that he ends his atheist ethical philosophy 101 session by proposing an argument for embarrassment. Certainly, Dave’s statements are utterly shocking but hey, after all, are you going to disagree? If you do then, you are claiming that Adolf Hitler was right, right? No, rather, we can argue against the manner in which Dave posed his argument without denying its conclusion.
His view makes Adolf Hitler’s wrongness nor wrongness at all but only seeming wrongness, in the opinion of one bio-organism. Where a neo-Nazi disagree, then Adolf Hitler would be right. Then the neo-Nazi and Dave could argue back and forth, “Is not!” “Is too!” “Is not!” “Is too!” “Is not!” “Is too!” until only the fittest survives.
But Dave also had to say something about suffering in general:
Why does it bother me personally? Because I have a deep, visceral reaction to suffering, especially human suffering…I don’t know that my basic human empathy towards another human needs a deeper justification than that. It also bothers me in a rational sense, because I know that suffering and oppression tend to lead to more suffering and oppression.
We are back to his personal preferences, which is all that he has, of course. Suffering bothers him because he has “a deep, visceral reaction to suffering.” Logically, yet immorally, if a person, say a masochist, has a deep, satisfying reaction to suffering then it is acceptable.
The reason that basic human empathy towards another human does need a deeper justification is that coming from an atheist perspective, basic human empathy is a mere assertion, it is an ethical conclusion and is thus, unfounded. Moreover, why is it a bad thing that suffering and oppression tend to lead to more suffering and oppression? Because it could negatively affect Dave? Who knows. But ultimately, more suffering and oppression is “good” evolutionarily speaking as the those who suffer suffering and oppression are obviously the less fit and deserve to not survivie.
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