A game of Logic

Matt3737

Matt3737

Similes are like songs in love.
MBTI
INFJ
Consider the statement:

Murder is wrong.

Is it:

A. An objective statement.
B. A subjective statement.
C. A fact.
D. An opinion.
E. Any combination of the above.
F. None of the above or inapplicable.

Please explain your reasoning.
 
D, an opinion. The statement is actually incomplete though, we don't know the context in which this murder is happening. Further more "right" and "wrong" is based on a subjective set of morals and ethics.
 
B

X is wrong. Where X is anything, qualifies the statement as subjective since wrong is inherently subjective.

Simply stating something doesn't make it an opinion. In other words, saying something doesn't mean you believe it, so I can't necessarily choose D as well.
 
In college I had to write a 15 page essay answering the question "Is death a harm?". Every student (myself included) had to present our findings to the class. Most people answered yes, some answered no. But the reasons for the answers were almost all different.

Based on my experience: d) an opinion
 
Murder is wrong.

Is it:

A. An objective statement.
B. A subjective statement.
C. A fact.
D. An opinion.
E. Any combination of the above.
F. None of the above or inapplicable.

Please explain your reasoning
Click to expand...

E. Because if you have a moral philosophy which you believe supercedes personal opinion or point of view such as belief in God's word or law, then it is fact. If you believe that murder is wrong in some but not all or most cases, then that's an opinion (moral relativism). It only becomes subjective if we believe it is acceptable based on your own experiences or specific circumstances in your own life which may not be applicable to other situations or circumstances involving the acceptability of murder. Then, you have an opinion which is an opinion. You can discuss the pros and cons of an opinion but an opinion is based on feeling or perspective and may not be based on facts or values. It cannot however be an objective statement because it cannot be proven as a truth separate from our consciousness of it. Then there is also the statement "Murder is wrong" which would be factual if human life is believed to be objectively good and valuable, and a special circumstance whose end is never acceptable or desirable. And there's also the reason why the murder takes place. This means you may disagree with the death of a human being but still believe the death of a particular human being is justified. You may think murder is wrong and also believe it is morally justifiable if that death occurs in the name of a legitimate and verifiable case of self defense (for example).

But then, the statement is problematic because is murder the same as killing someone? Murder suggests deliberate and intentional of harm to take life. Killing can happen accidentally. So, the rationality of each statement is different.
 
Last edited:
whats wrong with a flock of crows?
 
I would call "murder is wrong" a subjective statement because it is a (utilitarian) ethical question.

Allowing murder is not conducive to the future of a healthy society because it removes personal responsibility and undermines structure. This is a perfectly valid approach and it works at keeping the cattle together. At the individual level, however, it breaks down simply because of differing personal perceptions. What is not justified to one may be acceptable to another; consequently, Right and Wrong are balancing acts between different groups to achieve the most happiness/safety possible. "It works", but it's still just a subjective judgement backed up by conditioning.
 
Matt3737 said:
Consider the statement:

Murder is wrong.

Is it:

A. An objective statement.
B. A subjective statement.
C. A fact.
D. An opinion.
E. Any combination of the above.
F. None of the above or inapplicable.

Please explain your reasoning.
Click to expand...

F

I'd say N/A. This game can't be played only with the logical mind. The riddle can only be solved using both the logical mind and the intuitive heart.
 
Matt3737 said:
That's a question, not a response. (F) Possibly?
Click to expand...

Let's go with (F)

Murder hasn't been properly defined, did you know that a flock of crows is called a murder?
 
F: Inapplicable.

It is a moral statement. Moral statements are based upon moral reasoning and certain biologically ingrained responses to situations, which is neither objective nor subjective. (By objective I'm assuming you mean things that are emprical, and by subjective I assume you mean things which vary from person to person.)

Article: It Seems Biology (Not Religion) Equals Morality
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/hauser09/hauser09_index.html
 
E. A combination of the above.
 
o_q said:
X is wrong. Where X is anything, qualifies the statement as subjective since wrong is inherently subjective.
Click to expand...

As awful as it is to say, o_q is correct.
 
I'd say you've objectively made a subjective statement.
I'd also say that it is a fact that the statement is made, but absolutely not a fact in itself.
Can a statement be an opinion even if no one has that opinion? I don't know, but I do believe that some people have that opinion regardless.

OBS - I am not sure of anything of this, I lack knowledge in definition.
 
Matt3737 said:
Consider the statement:

Murder is wrong.

Is it:

A. An objective statement.
B. A subjective statement.
C. A fact.
D. An opinion.
E. Any combination of the above.
F. None of the above or inapplicable.

Please explain your reasoning.
Click to expand...

The word murder is a loaded word meant to incite an emotional response folowed by a call to action to act in the benefit of the one using the word under the guise of acting to benefit the recently deceased. Murder is just a different color of killing, the killing of humans. .... Well this turned into a random thought to nowhere. ha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top