Instigator / Pro
35
1762
rating
45
debates
88.89%
won
Topic
#1782

QUICK DEBATE: Objective morality, does it exist?

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
15
0
Better sources
10
0
Better legibility
5
0
Better conduct
5
0

After 5 votes and with 35 points ahead, the winner is...

MisterChris
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
One week
Max argument characters
3,000
Voting period
One week
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
0
1553
rating
24
debates
56.25%
won
Description

This is meant to serve as a short demo debate so I can assess the potential of a full debate later on.

I will be PRO, which means I am arguing objective morality exists.

DEFINITIONS:

Objective morality: objective morality is defined by philosopher and professor Justin McBryer as a fundamentally universal and true ethical good that transcends all people.

Exists: To exist is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as "to be; have the ability to be known, recognized, or understood." This means that even if we humans cannot recognize it, objective morality is still capable of existing.

ROUND STRUCTURE:
Round 1: Constructive
Round 2: Rebuttal
Round 3: Defense

**RULES**
1. No Kritiks
2. No New arguments made in final round
3. No trolling
4. You must follow the Debate Structure
5. No Plagiarism
6. Must follow debate definitions.
**ANY violation of these warrants loss of debate.**

Round 1
Pro
#1
Thanks, Death23, for accepting.

Judges, refer to description for definitions.

There are (at least) two lines of reasoning that we can use to prove objective morality. 

A. Intuition.

P1: If morality is objective, then we can expect virtually universal use of a standard set of moral principles.

P2: All humans use and appeal to this standard, if only subconsciously. 

C1: Morality is objective.

Let’s work through this. Whenever two men have a dispute, the one side tries to convince the other that they have violated a standard of good conduct that they both share, while the other argues that they have not violated such a standard. 

If there were not a shared standard between them, such an argument would be pointless, as one could simply say “to hell with your standard.” If that were the case, we could not condemn genocide, rape, or any other cruel act because we could not compare it to a universal standard of good conduct. Similarly, you can not argue that a football player committed a foul if the rules of football are not universally true.

Since we DO make disputes/condemnations, this universal standard must exist. Thus, we affirm daily that morality is indeed objective.

B. Probability

P1: If a god exists, then objective morality is true. (This is because the god would be the definition of good itself. i.e. that god's "will" would be standard for "good" conduct.)

P2: It is likely that god exists.

C1:  Morality is likely objective.

P2 is likely where disagreement will arise. 

I have two proofs of a god’s existence:

  1. The Kalam Cosmological Argument
The 1st Law of Thermodynamics states that matter cannot be created nor destroyed. Proponents of a naturalist theory will have to propose that, in order to explain everything in the universe, there took place the biggest possible violation of the basic laws of physics 14 billion years ago.

The theist has a much easier time justifying the Big Bang Theory: a god was the “uncaused first cause.” This one assumption that there is a god is vastly more probable than the infinite line of illogical assumptions that one has to make to otherwise justify pure naturalist theory. 


  1. Biogenesis
For a singular gene to arrive by chance, as Creation 1, no 1 (June 1978): 9-10, explains

“let us use as many sets as there are atoms in the universe. Let us give chance the unbelievable number of attempts of eight trillion tries per second in each set! At this speed on average it would take 10^147 years to obtain just one stable gene.”

The theist has no quarrel with these vast improbabilities. Theism instead posits a god controlled these events.

And thus, since a god would mean objective standard, we can safely arrive to our conclusion that morality is indeed objective.

Thank you.


Con
#2
Forfeited
Round 2
Pro
#3
Extend above arguments. I consent to allow my opponent to give both his constructive and rebuttal during the rebuttal round. 
Con
#4
Forfeited
Round 3
Pro
#5
Extend arguments. I can no longer consent to my opponent giving a constructive or rebuttal since he has violated the debate structure twice, and I can not respond to any new arguments as this is the last round.


Con
#6
Forfeited