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Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 7:49 pm
by spike
Philosophy Now wrote an article on "Unfit For The Future: The Need for Moral Enhancement" a few years ago. However, I found the subject of that book a failure to Human Rights.

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 8:07 pm
by Philosophy Explorer
spike wrote:Philosophy Now wrote an article on "Unfit For The Future: The Need for Moral Enhancement" a few years ago. However, I found the subject of that book a failure to Human Rights.
Getting consensus on what is human rights is a big challenge in this world. There are many different cultures in this world. Boko Haram, e.g., have no respect for women and children. In the US, there are differences among the 50 states how minorities and women are treated.

PhilX

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:26 am
by WendyDarling
Why does fear underpin most of the actions taken by humanity? Elsewhere (different forum) I asked if Mankind is allergic to emotions which is what morality is hinged upon. Always seems that fear leads the way and it is the most insidious and despised emotion, yet Mankind surrenders to his fears all the damn time. God's waiting for humanity to grow up enough for each individual to take responsibility for their thoughts turned to actions.

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 6:03 am
by Greta
WendyDarling wrote:Why does fear underpin most of the actions taken by humanity?
I found this of interest as regards your question:
... the call to be more grateful stands in deep conflict with a central drive in human nature: ambition. We know in theory that we should be grateful for what we have, but day to day, we are dominated by striving: for better relationships, working lives, communities and nations. The advocates of gratitude sound like they are recommending that we be content with how things already are. Mediocre situations could (these people seem to be saying) be so much worse. People in developed nations, irritated by the ineptitudes of their governments, should be more grateful that their politicians are not like those in Zimbabwe. Someone fed up with having a cough should be very glad they don’t have bronchitis…

This sort of thinking is deeply at odds with the underlying attitudes of modern societies. Capitalism stimulates constant ambition and longing and rewards astute, intense assaults on excellence. Restlessness is the precondition of progress. Nothing should be good enough for very long. The idea of being content with what we have and who we are has come to feel strange and dangerous. At best, gratitude appears like the consolation prize – the loser’s counsel. [emphasis mine]

Furthermore, encouragement to be ‘grateful’ is not always the kindly act it seems. It may just be another person’s convenient way of disguising their fear of competition or their refusal to engage with the stress and turmoil of aspiration. The insistence that we be more grateful could just be a jealous friend’s way of sidestepping our anxieties while ennobling their lack of effort.
https://thephilosophersmail.com/virtues ... gratitude/

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:42 am
by Hobbes' Choice
Philosophy Explorer wrote:
spike wrote:Philosophy Now wrote an article on "Unfit For The Future: The Need for Moral Enhancement" a few years ago. However, I found the subject of that book a failure to Human Rights.
Getting consensus on what is human rights is a big challenge in this world. There are many different cultures in this world. Boko Haram, e.g., have no respect for women and children. In the US, there are differences among the 50 states how minorities and women are treated.

PhilX
The problem is not consensus that has been achieved with the UDHR. The problem is that nations do not have the political will, nor the inkling, nor the resources to implement those suggestions.
Rights are empty without enforcement.

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:12 am
by Philosophy Explorer
Hobbes' Choice wrote:
Philosophy Explorer wrote:
spike wrote:Philosophy Now wrote an article on "Unfit For The Future: The Need for Moral Enhancement" a few years ago. However, I found the subject of that book a failure to Human Rights.
Getting consensus on what is human rights is a big challenge in this world. There are many different cultures in this world. Boko Haram, e.g., have no respect for women and children. In the US, there are differences among the 50 states how minorities and women are treated.

PhilX
The problem is not consensus that has been achieved with the UDHR. The problem is that nations do not have the political will, nor the inkling, nor the resources to implement those suggestions.
Rights are empty without enforcement.
The United Nations stinks at enforcing human rights. Only once did they take any major action (in the Korean War when China was boycotting the Security Council). I don't know what suggestions you're referring to, but I can say that the US, Russia and others do have the will to take action against Isis, Boko Haram and others and they do have the resources to conduct a war.

Rights are empty without enforcement sounds like a version of might makes right. Rights go all the way back to the Magna Carta (which the US improved upon). They are in black and white and come into being with legislation. Enforcement is done to make sure that what's in black and white has teeth.

PhilX

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:16 pm
by SpheresOfBalance
spike wrote:Philosophy Now wrote an article on "Unfit For The Future: The Need for Moral Enhancement" a few years ago. However, I found the subject of that book a failure to Human Rights.
So what are you now looking for?

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:29 pm
by Hobbes' Choice
Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Hobbes' Choice wrote:
Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Getting consensus on what is human rights is a big challenge in this world. There are many different cultures in this world. Boko Haram, e.g., have no respect for women and children. In the US, there are differences among the 50 states how minorities and women are treated.

PhilX
The problem is not consensus that has been achieved with the UDHR. The problem is that nations do not have the political will, nor the inkling, nor the resources to implement those suggestions.
Rights are empty without enforcement.
Rights are empty without enforcement sounds like a version of might makes right.
PhilX
No it sounds like the truth.
Rights predate Magna Carta, but this changes nothing.

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:17 am
by WendyDarling
Greta,

Isn't ambition based on the fear of "keeping up with the Joneses?" I see ambition as proving one's worth...blindly.

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:40 am
by Greta
WendyDarling wrote:Greta,

Isn't ambition based on the fear of "keeping up with the Joneses?" I see ambition as proving one's worth...blindly.
Again, it seems to boil down to fear - status anxiety and maybe a general fear of being considered inadequate. Ambition itself may be motivated by many things - desire, fear, excitement, interest, desire to help - and often a mix of these.

Re: Unfit For The Future.

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 6:53 am
by thedoc
'Who's afraid of Virginia Wolf?"