Are problems in ethics solved by a show of hands?

Question

Is it true that "ethics" cannot be proved, like proving a hypothesis in physics, using an experiment?

If animal rights activists say that killing animals for food is wrong, isn't it a just "belief". It is a not a "FACT", right?

Christians and Muslims can say the also "believe" that animals are meant for the food of man.

When one side says that animals are equal to humans and the other side says that animals are a lower form of life never equaling to human can anybody "prove" to the other-side that they are wrong?? I don't think so.

There is no 3rd "neutral" party we can put this query to , since anybody in the world either is vegetarian or a meat eater. So, nobody can be "neutral" in this matter.

If this is a case, isn't the only way a show of hands that decides which side is correct?

Same is true for the debate of abortion. Can anybody "Prove" that abortion is right or wrong?? I don't think so. So, that too is decide by a show of hands right??

So, for example, if the majority of a country believes that killing of animals for food is wrong, then by a majority vote, they can change the law, right?? But still, the people who think the opposite will not change their mind. In their mind, killing of animals will still not be wrong. Same for abortion, right??

Answer 1

There is a big difference between morals and ethics.



Morals are a belief system. They are affected by cultural differences and there is no right or wrong, there is only what is common among your tribe. This could certainly be established with a show of hands.



Ethics are a written set of guidelines that apply in a specific situation, such as a set of business practices, or expected behavior by teachers. Ethics can easily be proven, because once again there is no right or wrong. In this case there is only the opinion of the person in charge that matters. You don't need a show of hands for ethics, you just need to read the employee handbook.

Answer 2

Actually ethics and morality are interchangeable most of the time. They both mean the same thing with only subtle difference between them.



Yes, ethical problems are solved by a majority vote.



For example, Ireland voted to enable homosexual marriage.



In US the court (with a majority vote among the judges) decided to lift the ban on abortion.



Sometimes, even if the majority find some act unethical, but will not do anything about it. Majority may not like hunting, but will not do anything about it, like banning hunting.



But in England majority decided hunting foxes using pack of dogs is cruel. So it is banned now in England.

Answer 3

Ethics is often decided by the ideas and ideals of a culture.

However, a case can easily be made.



Animals as food for instance.

Animals are living, breathing, thinking, creatures that can suffer and who form family bonds.

Especially in today's factory farming, many animals live terrible cramped lives before they're packed into the back of a trailer and shipped to a factory to be mercilessly slaughtered.

Many studies have proven that these farm factories contribute a lot to global pollution and global warming.

Not to mention, because of its precarious nature meat spoils easily and thus is often wasted.



Abortion is actually one that is far easier to support even outside of ethics.

Because we've seen what happens when abortion is made illegal.

People die.

Born, breathing, thinking, feeling people with families and loved ones die.

They can't get one legally, so they get one however they can.

Even now there are plenty of stories of young women or even older women who are pregnant and seeking an abortion who have been lied to. Told that the procedure involves ripping up their in sides, putting spiked balls into their uteruses to tear the fetus out. Yet they still go. Despite the terror and despite the knowledge that it could be painful (though, obviously none of that is how an abortion is performed or how it really goes) they still seek the abortion.

Children are left orphaned.

Already overflowing orphanages and foster care facilities drown to the point that many children are neglected, abused, and even left to die.

Etc etc etc.

Not to mention there are plenty of scientific and historical evidence to back this all up.

Answer 4

The Christian view on life is consistent with the Christian belief. If I believe that God exists then I have to consider life as God's gift.



The atheist view is that all life is accidental and therefore cannot be sacred so there is no basis (other than some feelings) for saying one life is better than another. All life is without intrinsic worth.

Answer 5

No it isn't.