tca@houxa.UUCP (09/28/83)
..arizona!budd need only look in our own recent past to see cultural value systems that consider human life expendable and lacking in dignity and "human rights". For example, slavery in the nineteenth century (a mere century ago, a short time in cultural evolution terms)... Today we consider the concept abhorrent -- in the same way many people abhor the Russians actions in KAL007 -- when viewed from our present value system. And yet it was recently considered the norm. All the "moralizing" going on here is nothing more than a projection of one's own value system or cultural bias -- nothing "moral" or "immoral" about it. And who's to say that his system is one whit more valid than another's? A value system obtains its validity only through agreement (e.g. from "society"), not from any absolute precept. ..houxa!tca
mcewan@uiucdcs.UUCP (mcewan ) (09/30/83)
#R:houxa:-25700:uiucdcs:9700070:000:300 uiucdcs!mcewan Sep 29 16:36:00 1983 Stop trying to make excuses for the Soviets. They are a corrupt, backwards people who consider human life to be worthless. We here in the enlightened west, however, hold human life in the highest regard, and would only consider killing another human being if he or she was caught stealing a toaster.
kalm@ihuxw.UUCP (James ) (02/17/84)
Wrong! The worth of cultural value systems are not determined by their popularity, but by the effects they have on society, both local and global. Only a small percentage of the people in this country act as though the world is a place for them to "take what THEY need and damn the others" If such a "value system" were to become prevalent we wouldn't last through the decade. It is "by their fruits that you shall know them" not by the number of their friends. -- Jim Kalmadge IX 1c415 8-367-0475 ihuxw!kalm