A little more on morality (disgust! ewww!), December musings

[flexagon]

Anyone who liked the last post, on moral foundations, might be interested in these pieces: The Politics of Disgust (cute 12-minute animated video) and Purity, Disgust and Donald Trump (from January, innocent time that that was). I've taken some tests at yourmorals.org and, unsurprisingly, I test pretty low on how disgusted I am with a variety of things... heisenbug could've told you that. Of course, that doesn't make me a liberal in itself. It seems like luck of the draw, whether life squicks you out or does not. What I can't figure out is: why do some people steadfastly hold that their feelings of disgust, such as they might be, have nothing to do with right and wrong, while others can't or won't dissociate those things?

I remember a conversation with my dad on that topic from when I was a teenager, ferfucksake, talking about some particular soft-rock song after picking apart the lyrics and message carefully: "okay, you don't like the singing style, but that doesn't make it WRONG". I wish I could remember his answer; I think the point was conceded.

On, at any rate, with life: I mailed off Christmas packages to the parental units today. I have a rant/essay stored up in my head about being an atheist who likes Christmas, and taking that as a chance to lead into my thoughts on cultural appropriation. But I don't have the time or spoons to handle that right now. (As a side note, I'd really like to take an essay-writing class someday, and CCAE always offers one, but for next session they are on my acro nights. Again.) In the meantime, packages, and quietly looking forward to taking some more time off work.

Comments

[nahele-101.livejournal.com]

You liberal!

I am interesting in hearing your thoughts on atheism and x-mas.

[elbren]

the kinds of things that disgust me most (child rape, slavery) are violations of personal integrity: the reduction of another's options to a deplorably unacceptable degree. if someone else does not find those things disgusting, I have no basis for discussing morality with them at all. if I were asked to explain why I find them repulsive to someone who disagreed, I cannot even enter that conversation because I and that person have no common understanding regarding humanity and decency at all.

[flexagon]

So... what would be your reply to someone who said "gay sex really disgusts me, and if someone else doesn't find that disgusting then I have no basis for discussing morality with them at all"?

[elbren]

"I guess we have nothing to talk about then"?

no one can be convinced to disgust the same things I do. but we maybe can talk about impact and consequences.

like if gay sex disgusts you, then don't have gay sex. but societal penalties for gay sex have to be based on harm inflicted.

just like societal penalties for slavery & child rape hold because of the harm done, even if someone else thinks they're not repulsive.

but doing more of their surveys, few of the things they ask about being disgusting register as such to me either. also some of their moral questions I find super nonsensical.

but I don't have any problem with not everyone agreeing with me about right and wrong, as long as we have a mechanism for deciding on societal penalties for things we can convince each other are wrong.