saturn comments on Most-Moral-Minority Morality - Less Wrong

-3 Post author: byrnema 27 June 2011 04:28PM

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Comment author: saturn 27 June 2011 11:57:31PM 5 points [-]

I think of moral progress as the morality of a more sensitive minority impressing itself, over time, on the general population.

Homosexuality seems to be a case where a less sensitive minority is currently impressing itself on the general population. Do you consider acceptance of homosexuality to be against moral progress?

Comment author: byrnema 28 June 2011 04:16:33AM 0 points [-]

I would consider tolerance of homosexuality a case where a more sensitive morality is beginning to prevail over the majority: First, tolerance is the minority view (or was a bit ago) because non-tolerance was the status quo. Second, tolerance is the more sensitive moral position because it requires empathy with the group of weaker social influence.

I would stand by what I wrote, that moral progress would be the more sensitive minority impressing itself on the general population, since it's sort of tautologically true, but I'd be careful to emphasize that my post wouldn't prescribe anything about moral conflicts.