The democratic thought is based on that 'ordinary people' are suitable to rule themselves. Torbjorn Tannsjo More Quotes by Torbjorn Tannsjo More Quotes From Torbjorn Tannsjo How could it be that I had a legal obligation to kill people I did not know, and who did certainly not consent to it, while my father's doctor could not help my father to die when my farther asked for it? My consternation brought me to moral philosophy and a life-long search for an answer to the question when and why we should, and when we shouldn't, kill. Torbjorn Tannsjo doctors philosophy father I wanted to know what it means to know something, whether we can know at all, and, if so, how. Torbjorn Tannsjo knows wanted mean When I was in my late teens I was already interested in philosophy. Torbjorn Tannsjo teens late philosophy The kind of values for which I was supposed to kill, such as democracy and national independence, were better served, I thought, through non-violent action. Torbjorn Tannsjo independence democracy action To kill or not to kill, that was the question that haunted me. Torbjorn Tannsjo Actually, I defend the right to free abortion. Torbjorn Tannsjo abortion I am indeed a moral realist. Torbjorn Tannsjo realist moral I believe that one basic question, what we ought to do, period (the moral question), is a genuine one. There exists a true answer to it, which is independent of our thought and conceptualisation. Torbjorn Tannsjo independent answers believe It is true (independently of our conceptualisation) that it is wrong to inflict pain on a sentient creature for no reason (she doesn't deserve it, I haven't promised to do it, it is not helpful to this creature or to anyone else if I do it, and so forth). But if this is a truth, existing independently of our conceptualisation, then at least one moral fact (this one) exists and moral realism is true. We have to accept this, I submit, unless we can find strong reasons to think otherwise. Torbjorn Tannsjo pain strong thinking Moral nihilism comes with a price we can now see. Torbjorn Tannsjo moral nihilism We should not accept moral nihilism unless we find strong arguments to do so. Torbjorn Tannsjo moral strong nihilism Being a moral realist I see normative ethics as a search of the truth about our obligations and a search of explanation; the idea is that moral principles can help us to a moral explanation of our particular obligations. Torbjorn Tannsjo ethics principles ideas I am now a decided non-naturalist realist. And today we may even speak of a trend towards non-naturalist moral realism. Torbjorn Tannsjo trends may today It is of note that for a long time moral nihilism was a kind of unquestioned default position in analytic moral philosophy. Torbjorn Tannsjo nihilism philosophy long Are there any good arguments in defence of moral nihilism? I think not. Torbjorn Tannsjo moral nihilism thinking It is obvious that humanity faces existential threats of a global nature. They are global in the sense that is not possible to deal with them unless we resort to global governance. Torbjorn Tannsjo existential humanity faces What we need is legislation, not negotiation, for the entire globe. Torbjorn Tannsjo legislation negotiation needs Global governance need not take a democratic form. Torbjorn Tannsjo democratic form needs It is quite possible that we will soon come to live under some sort of global despotism, enlightened or not. This is not a nice prospect. And there is only one way of avoiding that this happens: to establish a global democracy. And it is not too late to strive for such a democracy, of a straightforward populist nature, where people on the globe elect a world parliament, which in turn elects a world government. Torbjorn Tannsjo nice government people I am a left winger, thought. Torbjorn Tannsjo left-wing left
