Debates: A Holistic Perspective...

[indigosoul]

Sure, I kill him. But only b/c your condition below makes it okay:

Only person who would see this as a wrong would be the individual you will kill but soon after you kill him he will be to dead to care or consciously feel negatively towards the situation.

What you say I also believe to be true:

culture simply inforces some basics ones to prevent anarchy.

So, tell me again how this is supposed to help w/our decision making given our present culture?

[RSK]

Example one: There is no culture, You are a human being with your current mind. You have a starving family in a cave some were and as you are wondering around you stumble into a individual holding a feast that your family can eat for weeks. There are scavengers flying about too. On one hand you can kill this individual were you can then feed your family, feed scavengers, his decomposing body would only help the dirt soil, and you would be happy. Only person who would see this as a wrong would be the individual you will kill but soon after you kill him he will be to dead to care or consciously feel negatively towards the situation.

Question then: Do you kill him?
I say: I would, assuming I am stronger(or better equipped) and he doesnt want to share lol.

OV, you amuse me. Are you talking about cavemen? It seems like you are. There was no culture, and no difference of wrong vs right. Of course I would kill the person, it's instinct, and I don't know any better. As a 'caveman', I cannot even communicate with others. As a 'caveman', writing hasn't even been invented.




Indi, as for the OP, about the med line paper, I wasn't trying to argue against anything. I was just showing you guys the importance of worldviews, and how biomedicine must incoporate other worldviews, when making critical global health care decisions.

[indigosoul]

Indi, as for the OP, about the med line paper, I wasn't trying to argue against anything. I was just showing you guys the importance of worldviews, and how biomedicine must incoporate other worldviews, when making critical global health care decisions.

I know you weren't, RSK. I said thats what _I_ was trying to do...

[Only-virgins]

OV, you amuse me. Are you talking about cavemen? It seems like you are. There was no culture, and no difference of wrong vs right. Of course I would kill the person, it's instinct, and I don't know any better. As a 'caveman', I cannot even communicate with others. As a 'caveman', writing hasn't even been invented.

You are a human being with your current mind.

______________________

[RSK]

I know you weren't, RSK. I said thats what _I_ was trying to do...

huh? so we are on the same page then?

[Only-virgins]

I know you weren't, RSK. I said thats what _I_ was trying to do...

I wasn't arguing against RSK was I? I just replied to someone who posted something stupid. It annoys me when people do that. Someone else down the list of this thread made me start. I don't even know what this thread is for or what the first post even is lol....I don't think I care either, this is much better(even though less "practical")

[RSK]

You are a human being with your current mind.

Is that how you defend your arguments? By telling me, I can think whatever. I'm not debating about this anymore, because this is the type of debate that leads nowhere...

...in fact, it's the type of debate that twists and turns. And these twists and turns finish at the start, and it's a circle we end up in.

[alice]

I wasn't arguing against RSK was I? I just replied to someone who posted something stupid. It annoys me when people do that. Someone else down the list of this thread made me start. I don't even know what this thread is for or what the first post even is lol....I don't think I care either, this is much better(even though less "practical")

the only stupid post was yours, when you said it was only one possible opinion that what the nazis did was wrong.
ok, let me set this straight. stupid's not the word for it, since you seem to know what you're talking about. let's call it coldblooded.

[indigosoul]

huh? so we are on the same page then?

If you understood what I said here, then yes:

I was more interested in this discussion to help RSK with his original question, which seemed more to do with how philosophy can be applied to real life problems, such as those in medicine.

It wasn't directly related to your original post, but it did seem a natural extension of it, given your current interests.

PS. I LIKE OVs posts! I've noticed that he is able to stimulate lots of interesting discussion. The whole point of debate is to be able to argue one's point effectively. I've found that the most interesting ppl in life aren't necessarily the ones who you will always agree with!

'Nite all!

[RSK]

oh, i must have missed the post...

...well, it's nice to know we agree




indi, i have a question for you. say you are a physician in the united states of america. an American Indian boy has a kidney problem. Doctors need to perform surgery. if the surgery is not performed, the child will die.

However, the parents of this American Indian boy, refuse the surgery, because it is against their beliefs. American Indians believe that once the body is opened, evil spirits enter.

What do you do?



EDIT: i forgot to add, you need consent from the parents for the surgery, but they are strongly against it, and refuse to sign.

[indigosoul]

indi, i have a question for you. say you are a physician in the united states of america. an American Indian boy has a kidney problem. Doctors need to perform surgery. if the surgery is not performed, the child will die.

However, the parents of this American Indian boy, refuse the surgery, because it is against their beliefs. American Indians believe that once the body is opened, evil spirits enter.

What do you do?



EDIT: i forgot to add, you need consent from the parents for the surgery, but they are strongly against it, and refuse to sign.

Ahahaha, RSK! I'm not doing your homework for you!! But I _will_ give you a reference, if you don't already have it:

Well and Good: case studies in biomedical ethics. By Thomas and Waluchow.

Good luck! (and good night!)

[RSK]

I LIKE OVs posts! I've noticed that he is able to stimulate lots of interesting discussion.

I don't even know why I bother to respond to OV. Some of his posts are SO out of whack, that I feel some sort of 'responsibility'. Otherwise I disagree with you. I think OV is just a kid with too much time on his hands - like me

[RSK]

Ahahaha, RSK! I'm not doing your homework for you!! But I _will_ give you a reference, if you don't already have it:

Well and Good: case studies in biomedical ethics. By Thomas and Waluchow.

Good luck! (and good night!)

lol, it's not my homework, i swear!

i watched a documentary of the ABOVE scenerio that played out. the end result, was that the child died, because it was too late. doctors peformed the surgery, and the parents were still against it. there was no good that could come from the situation. on one hand, doctors loose a childs life, on the other, parents face the demons in their child when he is opened for surgery (it's their belief)


oh well. g'nite indi.

[vashti]

PS. I LIKE OVs posts! I've noticed that he is able to stimulate lots of interesting discussion.

That's a nice way to spin it! I would have used the word "inflammatory" to describe OVs posts. Anyway, I think it would be helpful if he tried to be a bit more articulate and less inflammatory.

[misombra]

this argument about cultural relativism is reminding me of what is now going down in palestine. there is a country within an ideological framework that many countries agree with, who just voted in a party that directly parallels this way of thinking, and everybody else in the world is really shocked! why are they shocked? israel has been a target of their disgust for so long i'm really surprised that we are surprised, you know? why didn't anybody see it coming? we are killing people in order to spread democracy to the arab world and they vote for an anti-israeli government, who would've thought?