"My stance on morality is based on the following observations : 1 . '' I `` for me means my mental self , with my physical self just tagging along . 2 . I do not wish to suffer or to have those I care about suffer . 3 . I feel empathy toward others and often feel sorry for the suffering of others . Those are observations , not proclamations . The way I choose a moral code to avoid the problem of suffering is to essentially make a theoretical deal with others to have a mutual moral code that we will all treat each other as we ourselves would be treated - in this way , all of us can win out and I solve my problem of points 2 and 3 . Perhaps there are other better ways of finding a solution for societies to avoid suffering , but I have n't heard of one . I did not choose this solution arbitrarily . I chose it since it makes sense and should theoretically work and since many , if not most people , at least make some effort at using that moral code anyway so this moral code is at least partially universally adopted . It is the best moral option I have ever heard to address my concern about suffering . What is arbitrary about the reasoning I presented above ? What unsupported proclamations do you claim that I have made ? Either way , are you proposing that all moral systems are equally arbitrary and therefore equally valid ? In your scenario , someone could come up with an arbitrary proclamation `` black people should be slaves to white people `` and build a morality based on that . My moral approach questions that proclamation as well and thus avoids un-necessary human suffering ."
"First off , all equally arbitrary does n't mean they are all valid . If I made a mistake let me clear that up now Secondly , you still have an arbitrary system going there . The idea that many people believe something does n't make it true . Furthermore , your observations still make several assumptions that in fact are proclamations . Obviously people have come to observe different things from you ... all of which ca n't be proven ( in the sense we mean it ) and all of which are abitrary ."
"all moral systems are equally arbitrary and therefore equally valid"
"all equally arbitrary does n't mean they are all valid"