Psychopaths and sociopaths don’t have empathy or compassion. That’s about 5% of the population.
What’s wrong with the current “social contracts”?
Are you suggesting nature or nurture? One can easily be coerced to ignore empathy and compassion. (that’s the evil part of us) This is only true assuming that empathy and compassion is some genetic arrangement oblivious to nurture. What are you suggesting?
Anything wrong with our social contracts? I guess nothing is if might makes right is always the ultimate answer. There might be other ways of seeing our social conditions.
I think that the scientific position is that psychopathy and sociopathy are mostly biological. I’m suggesting that empathy and compassion cannot be relied on to solve human problems. Some people will always “act out”. Attempts to teach empathy and compassion to psychopathic prisoners have generally failed. They simply “fake empathy” to get what they want.
I’m not sure what you expect out of the social contract. It seems that the current ones contain a good deal of give and take trade-offs. There are some very oppressive countries but that’s not the norm in Western countries. It’s certainly not all “might makes right”.
Hi Tent,
Welcome back and where have you hailed from? Like the swallow coming back to Capistrano. It is very good indeed to read you.
That is true in part but I don’t agree that that is all it is about. Religion, organized religion, namely, Christianity or even paganism, where people do come to places to worship is also all about just that…worshiping together, having some common thread and connection with Something which they perceive to be greater than they are. That root is for me (although I do not worship anymore) -I’m a pagan lol) more than just a social gathering and communication.
I think that religion basically, Judaism Christianity came about in order to bind up (religare) what is barbaric in us human beings. We are still in the process of killing one another, destroying one another, but religion does somewhat refine our souls/spirits/emotions - unless one is a fanatic. It brought about a code of morality and ethics.
I don’t think that I agree with this either, Tent, but maybe I am not understanding what you are saying.
It is true that some who practice their religion are not necessarily spiritual or ethical but at the same time, there is a strong connection between religion and one’s spiritual in many individuals. People also practice their religions because of their human spirit and their need to worship something which is greater than they are, which transcends them, which feeds their spirits, which promotes a more optimal life for them. For the most part, there cannot be religion without the nurturing and nourishment of the human spirit which includes spirituality. It all comes down to balance and harmony and wholeness.
But sweetheart, this is a philosophy forum. How is it possible to come here, to share our perspectives and philosophies by being totally silent? 
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Where would we be without all of the great ones and the words and the ideas which they gave to others which spurred those others on to act?
The ones who sat on the sidelines and said nothing? What did they accomplish?
Haven’t you ever read books and poetry and ascended to the heights because of those words and they made you wonder what it is all about? That is also a form of spirituality to me.
Spirituality is not just about one thing or the other. We all hear that voice within differently and we all follow different paths to discover our self. There is not just one way.
It’s great, Tent, to see you again and to hear your words.
Where would we be without all of the great ones and the words and the ideas which they gave to others which spurred those others on to act?
The ones who sat on the sidelines and said nothing? What did they accomplish?
Haven’t you ever read books and poetry and ascended to the heights because of those words and they made you wonder what it is all about? That is also a form of spirituality to me.
It’s great, Tent, to see you again and to hear your words.
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Hi Sweedie, yeah, it is a long time between. Gonna keep this a little short, which will probably generate more questions than answers.
Religion can be far more than the book club and exactly the same. Religion has sponsored and encouraged every sort of good and evil humanly possible. Pick your poison. Oh yes, great and wise words from the mouths of saints to inspire us - just as long as we ignore all the coercion, suppression, torture, and killing in the name of a god. There may not be quite as much killing in the book club, but… It’s hard to ignore history.
Yes, we share commonality in our spiritual nature. But just exactly what is our spiritual nature? There are as many ideas of what that might be as there are people on the planet (past and present). I suppose kind sorta sharing of ideas and emotions is OK for some, but not all of us. Religion provides the illusion that we are TOGETHER. Nope. Maybe close, but no banana.
Words… I’m not sure this is a philosophy forum because I see very little of that, but yes, we must use words. The problem I suggested is that while talking is ABOUT living, it isn’t the same as living. Small distinction? Perhaps. But how many do you see substituting words for just quietly getting on with it?
Oh yes indeedy! That’s what I was saying - kinda - I think…
Soooo, when are we going to do that moonlight thingy?
JT