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When I was in college, there was a rather nice, new Corvette with a custom license plate which read: "AMORAL". I passed it often while walking to class. Though I'd never do such a thing (I'm not, after all, amoral), I would sometimes fantasize about seeing the owners' reaction after he discovered someone had keyed his door, dinged his car, or slashed his tires. I expect that if someone damaged his nice, expensive car, he'd quickly discover and utilize a very profound and strong set of moral convictions. "What, are you saying it was wrong that someone did that?" I'd imagine asking. I really wondered how he'd justify his reaction. On a related note, a friend of mine told a funny story: He was at a party, and a guy he was talking to was insisting there was no objective reality. (This was, after all, a college campus.) While he was talking, my friend would gently step on his foot. When confronted ("Why did you step on my foot?") my friend would deny he did any such thing. And step again. "Yes you did! You're doing it now!" the man retorted. My friend pointed out that since there was no such thing as an objective reality, there was no particular reason to think that the stepping-on-foot experience should be shared by both of them. Some ideas are so stupid you need a college education to believe them. Frankly, I don't recall. This was a long time ago, and I seem to remember asking the same question back then. Since I don't recall an answer, I'd guess the response was subdued -- not worth telling, or, if told, not worth remembering. (It's rather unusual, in cases like this, that someone actually admits you have a point, or comes back with a better counter-point. Usually, they just change the topic, which is as close as you'll get for an admission of error from some.) Posted by: Tim (Random Observations) on March 24, 2007 12:20 AM That guy you mention is clearly a product of Post-Modernism, an affliction that has been chipping away at the integrity of higher education for decades. PM'ers subscribe to the notion that all reality is subjective. For more info, see Daniel Flynn's book "Intellectual Morons." It's a good read. Posted by: Lyle Raymond on March 27, 2007 11:44 AM Add your two cents...
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My friend pointed out that since there was no such thing as an objective reality, there was no particular reason to think that the stepping-on-foot experience should be shared by both of them.
What was the response to that?
Posted by: Ryan W. on March 23, 2007 01:59 PM