Bleak Reasoning: The Atheist's Lack of Objective Morals Argument Dissected

I've been meaning to get to this one for quite some time. It is yet another lame attempt to argue that somehow we atheists, faced with bleak logical conclusions from our godless premises, live our lives in a state of blissful ignorance rather than live up honestly to those conclusions. Sadly for the author, frequent contributor Barry Arrington, the only thing bleak about this subject is his reasoning abilities:

Make two assumptions:

(1) That atheistic naturalism is true.

(2) One can’t infer an “ought” from an “is.” Richard Dawkins and many other atheists should grant both of these assumptions.

Yes, we not only grant them, we insist on them, which is why we bristle so at the attitudes of Christians and others that they have inferred an "ought" (following God's moral laws) from an "is" (God supposedly proclaiming same) and that therefore everyone must follow said moral laws. There exists no set of morals derived logically from nonarbitrary premises. We don't even need Goedel for this, though it helps. News this isn't.

I note in passing Arrington's lame attempt to paint atheists as driven by authority (eg Dawkins) as are believers. Sorry Barry, it ain't so. We may agree with much of what people like Dawkins, Dennet, et al say, but when our reasoning and evidence say otherwise, we'll disagree with them as vehemently as we do with you. Having dispensed with this attempt to poison the well, we move on to this argument that Barry thinks intellectually paralyzes atheists so:

Given our second assumption, there is nothing in the natural world from which we can infer an “ought.” And given our first assumption, there is nothing that exists over and above the natural world; the natural world is all that there is. It follows logically that, for any action you care to pick, there’s nothing in the natural world from which we can infer that one ought to refrain from performing that action.

Very true. As we've already granted, there are no moral laws which are as objective as are the laws of mathematics or physics. Moral laws are mere contrivances of man, which are based, in the end, on nothing more than our collective desires, values, and instincts. So what's the problem?

Add a further uncontroversial assumption: an action is permissible if and only if it’s not the case that one ought to refrain from performing that action. This is just the standard inferential scheme for formal deontic logic.

Uh, no it isn't, because it sneaks in a premise we've not established: that an action cannot be declared impermissible on a basis other than a logical derivation from a fact of nature. An action can be declared impermissible from a logical derivation from something else, say commonly accepted goals or values, or basic pragmatism (think driving on one side of the road), or even sheer randomness backed only by force. Arrington cannot just declare these options impossible, he needs to demonstrate why they are, and this is always the step people making such arguments leave out. This is an especially glaring omission since it ignores the reality of how people actually derive moral principles and apply them to their lives, especially when those principles conflict. Instead of dealing honestly with the atheistic position, Arrington argues in circles. Typical.

If you’d like, you can take this as the meat behind the slogan “if atheism is true, all things are permitted.” For example if atheism is true, every action Hitler performed was permissible. Many atheists don’t like this consequence of their worldview. But they cannot escape it and insist that they are being logical at the same time.

Of course we can: moral rules can be made on a basis other than a logical derivation from nature. Simple, easy, and straightforward. One can only wonder how Arrington can survive that black hole of irony in which he sits.

For another dissection of this sophistry, check out Jason's effort. And do also check out the wild flailings in the comments, as the pious desperately try to avoid the obvious.

RI Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

The Rhode Island legislature has passed a medical marijuana bill which now awaits Governor Donald Carcieri's signature. However, the bill passed by more than enough margins to override a veto, and if he leaves it unsigned, it becomes law anyway. Rationality wins another victory over the drug war.

More Effects from Global Warming: Acidity in the Oceans Killing Wildlife

As the increased carbon emissions in our atmosphere are absorbed by the oceans, the resultant carbonic acid is destroying the calcium carbonate in the seawater which stands at the beginning of many food chains, according to testimony at a hearing before the oceans subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee. The outlook is bleak:

In Washington state, oysters in some areas haven't reproduced for four years, and preliminary evidence suggests that the increasing acidity of the ocean could be the cause. In the Gulf of Mexico, falling oxygen levels in the water have forced shrimp to migrate elsewhere.

Though two marine-derived drugs, one for treating cancer and the other for pain control, are on the market and 25 others are under development, the fungus growing on seaweed, bacteria in deep sea mud and sea fans that could produce life-saving medicines are under assault from changing the ocean conditions.

Ocean acidification or diseases that thrive in acidified, oxygen-depleted seawater could be responsible for oysters not reproducing in Washington state, said Brad Warren, who oversees the ocean health and acidification program of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership in Seattle. A federal study found that two-thirds of larval blue crabs died when exposed to acidity levels like those currently measured off the West Coast, he said.

Federal studies also found acidity levels in the North Pacific and off Alaska are unusually high compared to other ocean regions. The high acidity is already taking a toll of such tiny species as pteropods, which are an important food for salmon and other fish.

In the Gulf of Mexico , Alexandra Cousteau said, the runoff down the Mississippi River from farms in the Midwest has created a dead zone the size of New Jersey where few species can survive. Wetlands in Louisiana are disappearing at the rate of 33 football fields a day as hurricanes grow in strength and frequency because of climate change, she said.

What do we get from our foot-dragging politicians in the face of this ever-growing mass of evidence that we have a serious problem in need of action? Joe Barton scoffing at plate tectonics, and John Boehner claiming scientific findings on carbon emissions are comical. There is apparently no science these guys aren't willing to bastardize to keep their constituents happily in denial and continue to do nothing. They will take us all down with then if we let them.

Orangutan Displays Advanced Tool Usage

Yet another huge blow to the notion that human beings are the only tool users, an orangutan built a ladder used in an attempted escape:

AN “ingenious” 62 kilogram orangutan short circuited electrical wires and climbed a fence using a makeshift ladder in an aborted escape attempt from Adelaide Zoo today.

The elaborate plot by 27-year-old Karta got her to within metres of the public, and resulted in the closure of the zoo on one of its busiest days of the year.

Zoo curator Peter Whitehead said Karta had twisted a stick into hot wires that encircled her enclosure, short circuiting the wires and allowing her to enter a vegetated area near the concrete and glass fence that separated her from the public.

She then piled up sticks, grass and plant roots and used them to climb onto the fence.

”You're talking about an animal that's highly intelligent, Mr Whitehead said.

”We've had issues with her before in normal day to day operations where she tries to outsmart the keepers. So in this case she's decided to make a ladder and try to get out of her exhibit.”

99% of us is still pretty smart.

More Good News for Texas: Antievolution Bills Die

Texas is on a winning streak. An attempt by the Institute for Creation Research to exempt itself from Texas regulations governing granting degrees died when the legislature adjourned. A similar fate befell a bill requiring restoration of the creationist "strengths and weaknesses" language that had just been left out of the new standards.

Along with the failure of national embarrassment Don McLeroy to be confirmed once again as chair of the Board of Education, we Texans can (at least for the moment) hold our heads high. Perhaps we are finally getting this whole science thing.

Cuckoo, 51 other Species, in Danger of Extinction

In news that has been all-too-common of late, 21% of Britain's bird species face extinction according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, including the famous cuckoo bird:

...the cuckoo and other birds that visit Britain in the summer have suffered population loss largely due to a decrease in food and water supply in sub-Saharan Africa, where many migrate from...The Sahara desert is spreading and the birds are having a hard time flying out in good condition...There isn't just one single problem, there are a host. The society said the cuckoo population in Britain has declined 37 percent since 1994.

At least it isn't all due to human activity, and the news is not all bad:

Six species did see a recovery in the past seven years, however. The report said the woodlark has seen a "dramatic" increase in population, as had the stone-curlew. Webb said these birds saw healthy gains thanks to an increased effort to maintain woodlands that would allow their numbers to grow.

Bill Maher Slams California

Bill Maher has a fabulous tirade on California in his latest Real Time. Sadly it applies to much of America as well, and the parts it doesn't apply to will be within the fold soon:

"No one can govern this state, because it is illegal to do it. We govern by ballot initiative, and we only right two kinds of those:

Spend money on things I like, and
Don't raise my taxes

We vote "yes" on gain, "no" on pain. This is why America's founders wanted a representative democracy, because they knew if they gave the average guy a chance, he'd vote for a fantasy world with no taxes, free beer, and vagina trees. And you know California used to be like the rest of America, following the instructions, and The Constitution and everything, but then we chucked that.

And now our state is governed by special interest people standing in front of the supermarket, with clipboards, asking "would you sign this petition to make earthquakes illegal? They're really starting to bother me, and Proposition 14C which mandates two weeks' paid leave for hangovers, and universal teeth whitening paid for by farts?"

So California, which, I hate to tell you everybody, is usually a little ahead of the rest of America, will probably go bankrupt. It's sad that we'll be closing the schools, but you'll want to be keeping the kids at home anyways, because we're also closing the prisons and we're letting all the rapists out. Truth is, even a real super hero couldn't get us out of the mess we're in now."

The rest of America will follow if we don't lose the penchant for wanting things we aren't willing to pay for.