I just stumbled into this discussion after reading an article about why mathematicians and scientists dislike traditional, Socratic philosophy, and my mindset is fresh off that article.
It was a fantastic read, but the underlying theme that I feel is relevant to this discussion is this:
Socratic philosophy treats logical axioms as “self-evident truths” (i.e. I think, therefore I am).
Mathematics treats logical axioms as “propositions”, and uses logic to see where those propositions lead (i.e. if you have a line and a point, the number/amount of lines that you can draw through the point that’s parallel to the original line determines what type of geometry you are working with (multidimensional, spherical, or flat-plane geometry)).
Scientists treat logical axioms as “hypotheses”, and logical “conclusions” as testable statements that can determine whether those axioms are true or not (i.e. if this weird system known as “quantum mechanics” were true, then we would see an interference pattern when shooting electrons through a screen with 2 slits).
So I guess the point that we should be making is this: which philosophical approach towards logic should we take to study ethics? I believe Wei_Lai would say that the first approach, treating ethical axioms as “self-evident truths” is problematic due to the fact that a lot of hypothetical situations (like my example before) can create a lot of contradictions between various ethical axioms (i.e. choosing between telling a lie and letting terrorists blow up the planet).
The problem is that when the conclusion is “proven wrong” (i.e. “my gut tells me that it’s better to lie to an Al Qaeda prison guard than to tell him the launch codes for America’s nuclear weapons”), then the premises that you started with are wrong.
So if I’m understanding Wei_Lai’s point, it’s that the name of the game is to find a premise that cannot and will not be contradicted by other moral premises via a bizarre hypothetical situation.
I believe that Sam Harris has already mastered this thought experiment. Paraphrased from his debate with William Lane Craig:
“There exists a hypothetical universe in which there is the absolute most amount of suffering possible. Actions that move us away from that universe are considered good; actions that move us towards that universe are considered bad”.