There are two ways to try to answer a moral question. One is to try to appeal to an absolute moral truth, that exists independently of anybody’s values. And in some ways I would like to believe that there is such an absolute moral truth.
But if there is, we don’t have a reliable way to figure out what it is. So, plan B: the next option is to say “ok, what are the values that we share? We have some values where we disagree, but what’s common in all of our moral systems?
” And as I said earlier, I think the thing that really binds us together is that all humans have a capacity to be happy, to live a good, meaningful life, and all humans have the capacity to suffer. And these are things that we all care about for ourselves, and for at least the people who we care about most. I think that is our common currency.
That at the very least we can all say: “wouldn’t it be better to have a system in which we are all happier, in which we all suffer less – even if we might have disagreements about what is right or wrong in terms of contentious issues like abortion, or the proper rules of war and so on and so forth. We have our disagreements, but I think that. .
. that starting point of our basic humanity, that I think is… it’s those commons values that give us the best chance we have of finding a way to resolve our disagreements, whether or not we are appealing to some ultimate moral truth from the universe or from God.
