Archaeology & Geology

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RWStanding
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Archaeology & Geology

Post by RWStanding »

Archaeology & Geology
Can archaeology tell us anything about ethics.
Modern technology employed in archaeology has enabled surviving written history to be considerably expanded and many semi-mythical dates to be corrected. The prime examply is that ‘creation’ or the beginnings of universal existence is now far earlier than imagined by most religious mythology.
Culture, technology, and ethics, is almost endless in its range and diversity, as revealed by archaeology.
Science can now describe the univere as something far more complex than mere matter floating in space. The ulimate quest being into the animal and human brain and ‘mind’ so as reveal more about how it is we are self aware and not machines. To remove the question one stage by using the term ‘god’ is of no purpose.
But any number of cultures and technologies may be found, merely showing how civilizations haved coped in practical terms or failed. It is only civilization that has succeeded for some length of time that may have gone on to create more than culture, in terms of of a philosophy of ethics. Ethics being about purpose within culture, which philosophy categorises. Who and what is to benefit in a civilization. Merely stating that something is ‘right’ is the essence of authority.
It appears that some historians imagine that culture describes not only what we can do, but what we should do.
When what and who may benefit is categorised, there can be no prior basis for deciding which is ‘right’ – it is a choice or lack of it.
Belinda
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Re: Archaeology & Geology

Post by Belinda »

RWStanding wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 8:08 am Archaeology & Geology
Can archaeology tell us anything about ethics.
Modern technology employed in archaeology has enabled surviving written history to be considerably expanded and many semi-mythical dates to be corrected. The prime examply is that ‘creation’ or the beginnings of universal existence is now far earlier than imagined by most religious mythology.
Culture, technology, and ethics, is almost endless in its range and diversity, as revealed by archaeology.
Science can now describe the univere as something far more complex than mere matter floating in space. The ulimate quest being into the animal and human brain and ‘mind’ so as reveal more about how it is we are self aware and not machines. To remove the question one stage by using the term ‘god’ is of no purpose.
But any number of cultures and technologies may be found, merely showing how civilizations haved coped in practical terms or failed. It is only civilization that has succeeded for some length of time that may have gone on to create more than culture, in terms of of a philosophy of ethics. Ethics being about purpose within culture, which philosophy categorises. Who and what is to benefit in a civilization. Merely stating that something is ‘right’ is the essence of authority.
It appears that some historians imagine that culture describes not only what we can do, but what we should do.
When what and who may benefit is categorised, there can be no prior basis for deciding which is ‘right’ – it is a choice or lack of it.
Archaeology, geology, and historiography are examples of academic disciplines which like all academic disciplines depend upon reason and creative imagination. Reason dictates that the thinker and researcher distinguish between 'facts' and subjective reactions. Academic disciplines include methods that enable 'facts' and disable irrelevant subjective reactions.

To the extent that historiographers keep to peer -approved methods for research and their interpretation of research so historiographers are good historiographers.

Cultures as we know them today are Enlightenment cultures of belief. Academic disciplines are all served by Enlightenment ideals of reason and creative imagination. If any historian wants to set up a new paradigm that does not include the scientific Enlightenment that historian would have a tough nut to crack.

Sure, historiography has changed since the 1950s but the Enlightenment paradigm has not changed.
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Sculptor
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Re: Archaeology & Geology

Post by Sculptor »

RWStanding wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 8:08 am Archaeology & Geology
Can archaeology tell us anything about ethics.
Modern technology employed in archaeology has enabled surviving written history to be considerably expanded and many semi-mythical dates to be corrected. The prime examply is that ‘creation’ or the beginnings of universal existence is now far earlier than imagined by most religious mythology.
Culture, technology, and ethics, is almost endless in its range and diversity, as revealed by archaeology.
Science can now describe the univere as something far more complex than mere matter floating in space. The ulimate quest being into the animal and human brain and ‘mind’ so as reveal more about how it is we are self aware and not machines. To remove the question one stage by using the term ‘god’ is of no purpose.
But any number of cultures and technologies may be found, merely showing how civilizations haved coped in practical terms or failed. It is only civilization that has succeeded for some length of time that may have gone on to create more than culture, in terms of of a philosophy of ethics. Ethics being about purpose within culture, which philosophy categorises. Who and what is to benefit in a civilization. Merely stating that something is ‘right’ is the essence of authority.
It appears that some historians imagine that culture describes not only what we can do, but what we should do.
When what and who may benefit is categorised, there can be no prior basis for deciding which is ‘right’ – it is a choice or lack of it.
Archeology & Geography is not about ethics.
Archaeology is about understanding the past through the medium of material culture, and is closely associated with anthropology where you might come closer to reflections about ethics.
In actuality anthropology hand in hand with archaeology can teach us about changing moral systems of the past and present. The most obvious conclusion that is reached is that moral systems are subject to the whims of cultural logic and contingent on local, historical factors. In essence that morality is both subjective and relative.
Along side that, physical and evolutionary anthropology teaches through the medium of behavioural science the nature of humans as animals that have notions of good, and bad, in groups and out groups; social cohesion and conflict; love and hate.
Whilst it can show the propensity for moral thinking, none of these disciplines make ANY specific prescriptions for moral rules, which in practice are often objectively illogical, and always question beg the often unspoken premises upon which moral rules depend.
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Agent Smith
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Re: Archaeology & Geology

Post by Agent Smith »

These are really good questions and answers too boot!

If anyone wants to know more about archaeology, try https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cH ... bWF0PXJzcw
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