
Originally Posted by
Axer NZ
The universe is composed of four things: matter, energy, space, and time.* Now, to be said to truly exist, something must be made of at least one of these components and interact with the others. You yourself are a collection of matter which functions using energy, occupies space, and passes through time. So, congratulations are in order: you exist.
However, what is morality? It is not matter; you cannot see, touch, hear, taste, smell, or otherwise sense it. It is not energy; you can't use it to heat your house. It is not space; you can't put anything inside it. And lastly, it is not time.
Thus, morality (and any other abstract concept) cannot be said to exist in any way. However, it has a noticeable and meaningful effect on the world at large. It is the reason that you are not being robbed blind by a mugger right now, that you can go about your life with a reasonable sense of security. Yet this thing that protects you and controls you is not part of reality.
I'll try really hard not to be religious...
Your assuming that those four (matter, energy, space, and time) are the only four aspects of reality. So does that mean that thought or memory doesn't exist? How do we know for sure that that's all there is?
Just because something is abstract doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Morality is like thought, memory, or emotion. It may not be a physical, measurable quantity but it obviously has an impact on the real world. It gives people a certain sense of right and wrong. If you do something that is completely against your moral code, you feel guilty. And emotions are proven to have an impact, even a small one, on your physical and mental health.
Morality itself may not be the fifth aspect, but there has to be something else beyond matter, space, energy and time. And whatever that something is, morality either results from it or exists within it.
"I'm not crazy, OK? I'm totally, completely sane.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go blow up this dead body."
Agent Washington, Red vs Blue
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