Comments on: Even Monkeys sense the moral law http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/even-monkeys-sense-the-moral-law/ A Catholic Social Commentary Fri, 18 May 2012 17:49:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Dion http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/even-monkeys-sense-the-moral-law/comment-page-1/#comment-14824 Dion Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:41:59 +0000 http://www.fallibleblogma.com/?p=2673#comment-14824 That monkey would also take your face off if you set him off wrong. That monkey would also take your face off if you set him off wrong.

]]> By: Christian Barbosa http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/even-monkeys-sense-the-moral-law/comment-page-1/#comment-14739 Christian Barbosa Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:51:06 +0000 http://www.fallibleblogma.com/?p=2673#comment-14739 Monkeys and Morality: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5733638.ece heres the stuff behind the humorous clip... Monkeys and Morality: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5733638.ece

heres the stuff behind the humorous clip…

]]> By: Mark http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/even-monkeys-sense-the-moral-law/comment-page-1/#comment-14737 Mark Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:30:59 +0000 http://www.fallibleblogma.com/?p=2673#comment-14737 Guys, Let's not read too much into all of this...the purpose here is really just to have some harmless fun :) Guys,

Let’s not read too much into all of this…the purpose here is really just to have some harmless fun :)

]]> By: Matthew Warner http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/even-monkeys-sense-the-moral-law/comment-page-1/#comment-14665 Matthew Warner Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:47:06 +0000 http://www.fallibleblogma.com/?p=2673#comment-14665 Thanks for the thoughts, Scott! It was mostly just in jest...however, I think any time somebody (or even a monkey perhaps) appeals to a sense of "fairness" (like being upset because somebody unfairly cheats them) they are appealing indirectly to some kind of unwritten moral standard. The monkey wasn't upset when he lost a hand...just when he was cheated - at least that's how it's portrayed. If he was simply motivated by selfishness, he should have been equally upset when he lost fairly as he was when he lost unfairly. What you are suggesting (that we would need to give the monkey the opportunity to himself cheat) would only test how moral the monkey is. Not whether or not he has a sense of an objective morality. Appealing to an objective moral standard and the ability to follow that same standard are two different things. In other words, it's entirely possible to have a sense of the moral law and still, in our imperfectness, disobey it. We do it all the time when we sin. Thanks for the thoughts, Scott! It was mostly just in jest…however, I think any time somebody (or even a monkey perhaps) appeals to a sense of “fairness” (like being upset because somebody unfairly cheats them) they are appealing indirectly to some kind of unwritten moral standard. The monkey wasn’t upset when he lost a hand…just when he was cheated – at least that’s how it’s portrayed. If he was simply motivated by selfishness, he should have been equally upset when he lost fairly as he was when he lost unfairly.

What you are suggesting (that we would need to give the monkey the opportunity to himself cheat) would only test how moral the monkey is. Not whether or not he has a sense of an objective morality.

Appealing to an objective moral standard and the ability to follow that same standard are two different things. In other words, it’s entirely possible to have a sense of the moral law and still, in our imperfectness, disobey it. We do it all the time when we sin.

]]> By: Scott http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/even-monkeys-sense-the-moral-law/comment-page-1/#comment-14661 Scott Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:53:57 +0000 http://www.fallibleblogma.com/?p=2673#comment-14661 The look on that monkey's face is just priceless! Even so, I don't think this shows anything about moral law. This just shows that monkeys are self-loving and don't like when they lose because the rules change. No one, no matter how amoral, likes to lose. There's a big difference between having a moral sense and just being selfish. To prove that they can sense some objective moral law, you would need to give the monkey the opportunity to cheat, and see whether they take it. The look on that monkey’s face is just priceless!

Even so, I don’t think this shows anything about moral law. This just shows that monkeys are self-loving and don’t like when they lose because the rules change. No one, no matter how amoral, likes to lose. There’s a big difference between having a moral sense and just being selfish. To prove that they can sense some objective moral law, you would need to give the monkey the opportunity to cheat, and see whether they take it.

]]> By: Taylor Marshall http://fallibleblogma.com/index.php/even-monkeys-sense-the-moral-law/comment-page-1/#comment-14573 Taylor Marshall Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:03:44 +0000 http://www.fallibleblogma.com/?p=2673#comment-14573 Awesome video! Thank you for sharing!!! Taylor Awesome video! Thank you for sharing!!!

Taylor

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