Your Opinions on Moral/Cultural Relativity

**Byzantine Prince** · 07-09-2005, 03:17

Originally Posted by JAG

BP - why do you think everyone has compassion? I really do not think so, there is no universal trait everyone has which is not due to DNA. Emotions and traits - such as cowardice or honour - are all created ourselves by our choices. There is nothing such as compassion which people have just for being human, that form of human nature I will argue about forever, it is rubbish.

Why do I think everyone has compassion? I don't. I never stated everyone has compassion. I said it was a human trait, but there's always the odd exceptions in any species.

Being human you must have humanity. That is emotional as well as intellectual. Those are the building blocks of sanity. Granted they are not found in your DNA nor in your insticts, they are developed just by being around healthy relationships with other human beings. Parent's love, parent's caring as I preveously stated. You are giving the choice thing way too much credit JAG, not everything is made by choice. You don't have the choice of the environment and the types of people you grow up with, and it DOES have an affect on you, I don't care who you are.

Human nature is NOT rubbish, that is the worst statement you have ever made. Human nature is what makes us humans, otherwise we would be no different from complicated machines with no emotions and no compassion, just... choices?
That doesn't sound very inspirational, but if I understood what you said correctly that is what you are suggesting. Forgive me if I'm wrong though.

BP