Author Topic: What is this morality thing anyway? (Read 7632 times)

Valentine · « **Reply #45 on:** May 02, 2014, 09:23:17 pm »

Quote from: Germandragon;146553

That's good. I enjoyed reading it- it was a bit of a reminder that community doesn't just mean hometown, country, or religion. It can be big, too.

However, there was a part of your post I didn't quite understand. If I can go a little off topic, what did you mean by 'naming true names'? I understand how connecting people to each other relates to morality, but how does naming true names relate? (Sorry, this is my end. I'm not quite up to speed today.)

In that case, I'm talking specifically about the standards of ma'at, rather than other morality systems or "good" on the whole. A community becoming wealthier or more militarily powerful might or might not be "good," but that's not how ma'at in the specific measures the good of a community. So, the "good of the community" by a ma'at-centric standard would be based more in people being in beneficial relationship to each other, the making and maintenance of institutions like temples and libraries and courts, the just application of law, fair distribution of resources, consistent honor done to the Gods, etc. Calling things by their true names, connecting them to each other, creating more and more truthful, just order. It's a very specific sort of "good" that couldn't ever be served by murdering innocents en masse, because it might benefit your nation by SOME standards, but not by ma'at's--as far as ma'at is concerned, that doesn't strengthen your nation, it erodes and sickens your nation. I'd say that calling such an act as the one in your hypothetical situation "good" would be untruthful, unjust, and therefore definitionally a violation of ma'at.

Does that make more sense?

Lana288 · « **Reply #46 on:** May 03, 2014, 01:03:26 pm »

Quote from: Valentine;146606

In that case, I'm talking specifically about the standards of ma'at, rather than other morality systems or "good" on the whole.

***
Calling things by their true names, connecting them to each other, creating more and more truthful, just order.

Does that make more sense?

Yes, thank you. I've only heard the term 'true name' a few times before, which is why I was confused.