Where Do Physical Ethics Come From?, Page 2

randomly and, thus, no shape is inherently more or less valuable than any other shape. A seal, a tree and an Eskimo are essentially equal. Therefore, the presumption of a moral absolute (the premise of absolute, physical equality) underpins the entire moral case of the Weak. It is the defensive rational or “ethic” behind modern secularism. In other words, it is wrong for the Strong to bully the Weak because all of Nature is equal.

  With absolute equality as the measure, the domination of one person over another person or animal violates a kind of “Natural balance” or “harmony”. Thus, a modern, secular people divide all social reality into a simplistic illusion: a struggle between manipulative Utility vs. nurturing Equality. To them, there are “good” people who believe in absolute (physical) equality and “evil” people who see the world (as it really is) in unequal terms. Thus, the very recognition of inequality tears at the “loving” heart of every self-perceived Victim or Survivalist. It, also, paints those who approach the world as an unequal environment as “haters”. Haters? Yes, those who do not adopt secular ethics of absolute equality and nurture (Survival-Victim and Nature ethics) are obvious “haters” because they must sympathize with the Utilitarian camp: wherein can be found selfish domination, raw manipulation and heartless cruelty. Secularism recognizes no other category. A Sarah Palin is either stupidly manipulated by some utilitarian entity (like big business) or she is wickedly manipulative herself. Thus, Conservatives—like Reagan and Bush--were considered both ignorant and masters of manipulation in modern politics.

  Now, getting back to Nature ethics, thanks to a legion of secular thinkers, like Rousseau, the ideal of Natural harmony has developed quite a narrative over the centuries. Perhaps, their story goes something like this: Once upon a time, maybe a billion years ago, there was a lush garden that sprang up. It was full of evolving plants and living things of every sort in natural balance. Very recently, however, a clever animal evolved—mankind. Man lived for a while in a balanced equality with the rest of Nature. It was a time of great freedom and pleasure, with no sexual inhibitions and everyone shared everything equally. Then, one day, the first “bad” man began to think in unequal terms. He hunted for meat. He stopped sharing his food and sex partner and built a private shelter for his family—all of which he now had to defend.

  Thus, we are led to believe that selfishness, greed, war, hatred, indeed, every “evil” apparently can be traced to a defective person who began seeing the world as an “unequal place”. Therefore, as the story goes, people are intrinsically good, “civilization” has led us astray and the problem of evil in the world can be physically explained away by some defect in the brain that creates the delusion of inequality and disordered appetites like religion. Hence, the frantic search in our own day for discovering the physical malady of “the Right Wing brain” or the elusive “god gene”.

  Yes, a physical world requires physical explanations, explanations that replace the lofty concept of “good” vs. “evil” for the more tangible idea of healthy equalizers vs. defective manipulators. One weird illustration of all this happened when a famous comedian—“Kramer” of Seinfeld fame—shouted the “N-word” at some black hecklers in a Californian comedy club. As a secular nation recoiled in horror, he immediately checked himself into the Betty Ford Clinic, effectively saying that he recognized a physical health problem--not a moral issue.

  Assuredly, Nature ethics is a fascinating study that generates many bizarre, secondary principles that are most often anti-human because they are premised, like all defensive ethics, on a fear of the Strong—in this case, a fear of our natural, Human domination of the planet. For example, the “pristine ethic” is a biased evaluation of environments based on the premise that humans contaminate Nature. “Come see Nature’s unspoiled beauty” the travel brochure exclaims. Such logic avoids the obvious conclusion that building a Volvo is just as natural to our human capabilities as digging a hole is to a gopher—that humans are part of nature too. However, for space requirements, we will not go into further detail on concepts of “natural balance”, “proportion”, “natural goodness” or the ultimate “attraction of pantheism” here. It is suffice to say that there are serious problems with Nature ethics, not the least of which is that it seems to contradict the entire Natural order where we can plainly see various hierarchies and a pervasive law of Utility within, for example, the animal kingdom.

  In other words, if absolute physical equality is supposed to be fact of the universe, it is universally met with indifference. Therefore, humans imposing absolute, physical equality on each other (e.g. “gay marriage”) is apparently not “natural”. It is either a highly advanced evolutionary stage or it is a nutty perversion depending on whom you may ask. Nonetheless, the take home point is that Nature ethics are, first and foremost, a denial of the existence of God, with the subsequent claim that everything should receive equal deference. Thus, “going Green” is not so much a movement based on the responsible stewardship of the planet God gave us. Rather, it is based on a primal fear of domination, with Humanity in the crosshairs.

  Our new ethical system

  Therefore, as you can see, stripping the world of a belief in God forces everyone to depend on physical “ethics” born of primal necessity. Since most of us are not strong enough to control, much less dominate our circumstances, we shelter in the herd and try to defend ourselves. Together we impose restrictions on the Strong. Thus, our first ethic is to Survive which eventually drives us into herds (Victim ethics) where we cleverly equalize things according to the “moral absolute” of physical equality (Nature ethics). Admittedly, throughout all of this, there remains the yearning desire to “get what I want”, the ubiquitous will to power of Utility.

  Thus, a god-free public square generates a lot of worried ethics. Go to any public elementary school and see them almost shouted from the walls: EQUALITY, RESPECT, TOLERANCE, RESPONSIBILITY, SHARING, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE…etc. The anxiety is palpable. And why not? There is so much to do and so little time! Young children--potential citizens of the great secular city--need to unlearn the inequality of a Created world order and all its “unhealthy” values. Then, they must learn the dangers of following their natural, Utilitarian desires—perhaps, with a trip to the Tolerance Museum. Then, they must thoroughly understand the blessed doctrine of Nature, Victim and Survival ethics: which will become a lifelong social expectation called “political correctness”. Eventually, the young, secular adult will soak in the message. They will develop a “social conscience” premised on a cartoon planet wherein battle the loving and enlightened equalizers vs. unhealthy, selfish dominators. And they will carry this battle into all walks of life, giving intense political interpretation to most everything--from baking fat-free cookies to green trash collection to manipulating news reports.

  Yet, history shows these battle lines to be a false dichotomy because Utility (“me getting what I want”) is at the root of every secular ethic. And, notions of “equality” actually prove to be quite fungible in practice. It is a great “moral war” that can easily be dropped if I become dominant or there is some Utilitarian gain in sight. In other words, the Weak may impose equality until they are Strong enough then it all goes out the window. Then every inhuman cruelty can be indulged without restraint—equality be damned.

  The novel “Animal Farm” outlines the classic progression of equalizers rising to authority and then administering a coercive, utilitarian abuse on the workers they had just “rescued” from utilitarian abuse. Yes, the motto on your kid’s classroom wall should actually read: “EQUALITY UBER ALLES [over all]… UNTIL I AM UBER ALLES!” For all the seduction of the towering secular dream of equality, impartial justice, sharing, love and tolerance, the whole thing is utilitarian to the core. With History as a bleary-eyed witness, the Earth is littered with millions of bones of the “equalized”, from Havana to Beijing, wh
ose leaders suddenly discovered they were now dominant.

  The Primacy of Intent

  So, here it is we arrive at a strange phenomena—intentions. As odd as this may seem, a secular people are not ultimately guided by physical facts. We are certainly not guided by results, by impartial judgment, historic evidence or, even, science. No, “ intentions” are everything today. Non-physical intentions of equality are the lifeblood of the secular city--not measurable results.

  How could this be? Simple--the Weak are well aware of the underlying Utility of the human animal. So they need reassurance that you are not in it for ultimate domination of the Weak—that you are not a closet Utilitarian. Therefore, what evidence can we find that you have healthy intentions? Are you an obvious member of a Victim group? Do you perform community service for the Weak? Are you environmentally responsible? No?

  Well, don’t worry. It’s really not that hard to put on an empathetic face. Just wear a pink ribbon twist or go into any 7/11