What School of Philosophy is This?

[AveryLExperiment]

Please help me identify this belief system.
Hopefully there is an existing school of thought that already describes it:

1. It's based on the idea that morality and ethics are purely human inventions, which only exist as thoughts in our heads.
2. Ideas like good/bad & right/wrong are purely subjective, and don't actually describe our universe. This is also true of concepts like should/shouldn't, deserving, ownership, responsibility etc.
3. This philosophy encourages people to identify and strip away human concepts like this, to gain a more accurate understanding of the world.
4. Rather than making decisions based on a moral code, this philosophy encourages people to focus on outcomes. Instead of asking "What should I do?", ask "What do I want to see happen?", and then to work toward that goal.
5. This philosophy is not psychopathy, and encompasses the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness.

I don't think this is moral relativism, since that would imply that morality is relative to a person or situation. This belief system says that morals/ethics don't exist at all, except as arrangements of neurons.

Please help me identify or categorize this. It's been a long and lonely road, and I'd like to learn from others who may have learned more.

Thank you sincerely for any help!
Avery

[Gee]

Please help me identify this belief system.
Hopefully there is an existing school of thought that already describes it:

1. It's based on the idea that morality and ethics are purely human inventions, which only exist as thoughts in our heads.
2. Ideas like good/bad & right/wrong are purely subjective, and don't actually describe our universe. This is also true of concepts like should/shouldn't, deserving, ownership, responsibility etc.
3. This philosophy encourages people to identify and strip away human concepts like this, to gain a more accurate understanding of the world.
4. Rather than making decisions based on a moral code, this philosophy encourages people to focus on outcomes. Instead of asking "What should I do?", ask "What do I want to see happen?", and then to work toward that goal.
5. This philosophy is not psychopathy, and encompasses the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness.

I don't think this is moral relativism, since that would imply that morality is relative to a person or situation. This belief system says that morals/ethics don't exist at all, except as arrangements of neurons.

Please help me identify or categorize this. It's been a long and lonely road, and I'd like to learn from others who may have learned more.

Thank you sincerely for any help!
Avery

Avery, I think you are talking about science.

[Pattern-chaser]

The philosophy you describe seems to dismiss human values, and yearns instead for something more certain. I am confused, though, when you say it "encompasses the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness". You can't have your cake and eat it. As Gee commented, you seem to be describing science, or something similar. I don't know of a more specific title for the philosophy you describe.

[h_k_s]

Please help me identify this belief system.
Hopefully there is an existing school of thought that already describes it:

1. It's based on the idea that morality and ethics are purely human inventions, which only exist as thoughts in our heads.
2. Ideas like good/bad & right/wrong are purely subjective, and don't actually describe our universe. This is also true of concepts like should/shouldn't, deserving, ownership, responsibility etc.
3. This philosophy encourages people to identify and strip away human concepts like this, to gain a more accurate understanding of the world.
4. Rather than making decisions based on a moral code, this philosophy encourages people to focus on outcomes. Instead of asking "What should I do?", ask "What do I want to see happen?", and then to work toward that goal.
5. This philosophy is not psychopathy, and encompasses the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness.

I don't think this is moral relativism, since that would imply that morality is relative to a person or situation. This belief system says that morals/ethics don't exist at all, except as arrangements of neurons.

Please help me identify or categorize this. It's been a long and lonely road, and I'd like to learn from others who may have learned more.

Thank you sincerely for any help!
Avery

It sounds like some kind of relativism though.

[AveryLExperiment]

Actually, could it be moral nihilism or subjectivism? These sound right, or close.

[Oh, weird, you can't post any external links on this forum? Strange]

Thank you for your replies. I'd appreciate anyone else's views on the subject.

I am confused, though, when you say it "encompasses the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness". You can't have your cake and eat it.

I get this a lot, but it's not true - these things can co-exist just fine. Why would this be having one's cake and eating it too?

[Gertie]

Actually, could it be moral nihilism or subjectivism? These sound right, or close.

[Oh, weird, you can't post any external links on this forum? Strange]

Thank you for your replies. I'd appreciate anyone else's views on the subject.

I am confused, though, when you say it "encompasses the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness". You can't have your cake and eat it.

I get this a lot, but it's not true - these things can co-exist just fine. Why would this be having one's cake and eating it too?

An academic philosospher might be able to better help, but I'd say 1 and 2 are a good fit with ethical subjectivism
https://wiki2.org/en/Moral_subjectivism
(I think you have to make 20 posts or something before you're trusted with links!)

Your other 3 points seem to be picking out features (or potential features) of 1 and 2, rather than being a philosophical 'ism' in themselves, so you might not get something which captures them specifically.

[Pattern-chaser]

The philosophy you describe seems to dismiss human values, and yearns instead for something more certain. I am confused, though, when you say it "encompasses the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness". You can't have your cake and eat it.

I get this a lot, but it's not true - these things can co-exist just fine. Why would this be having one's cake and eating it too?

I replaced my text that you deleted, so that you can once more see its sense. I'm suggesting that you can't have the certainty and lack of human values that you seem to want, while also encompassing "the full depth of human emotion, empathy, and kindness". That would be having one's cake and eating it, I think.

[AveryLExperiment]

I replaced my text that you deleted, so that you can once more see its sense.

Woah, this reads like you might think I intentionally censored you. I just want you to know that I'm not here for that. I didn't even realize I was omitting something you would care about. And I certainly wasn't leaving stuff out so I could have an easier time arguing with you...because I'm not here to argue with you! :p I really appreciate your reply, and thank you.

I'm suggesting that you can't have the certainty and lack of human values that you seem to want...

Maybe this is the point of confusion. I don't believe in a lack of human values. Human values are very real - as thoughts. A person can place value on anything - it's just that that value only exists as arrangements on neurons in their brain. But that doesn't mean they're not real, any more than pain or love isn't real. But it does mean that that value does not exist as part of the universe outside of their head. They aren't reflections of things in the universe - they are only arrangements of neurons.

So hopefully that resolves it. There's no reason why someone who believes objective morals aren't real can't also believe that emotion, empathy, and kindness are real thoughts.

As for how all that gets used in daily decision making, it usually goes something like this:

"What do I want to see happen here?"

Well, I'm a human with emotion and empathy, so the answer usually involves helping others while pursuing my own goals. I've always found helping people to be one of the most wonderfully fulfilling things one can do in life. Almost nothing makes me happier. So it's commonly what I end up wanting to do.

Does that clear it up?