"His writings suggest he was a rationalist, believing that science is our ultimate tool of inquiry (it appears he was not a religious man). As I went through what he found, I was repeatedly reminded of the thought I had as a philosophy student: some moral laws may be designed to minimize human suffering and maximize human flourishing long term.
"Unwin examines the data from 86 societies and civilizations to see if there is a relationship between sexual freedom and the flourishing of cultures. What makes the book especially interesting is that we in the West underwent a sexual revolution in the late 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s and are now in a position to test the conclusions he arrived at more than 40 years earlier."
1 comment:
I thought this was a good point the author makes in the comments -- that you would agree:
Transcendent moral laws are objective, and I would go with transcendent moral laws. However, if there are transcendent moral laws that have been designed for a reason, the historical data should show the benefits of living by those transcendent moral laws. Harris's approach to morality has no grounds other than pragmatism, and pragmatism is very prone to exceptionalism.
Post a Comment