So A Lot Has Happened...

I worked for a company the shortest I ever have outside of a contract and as such am now unemployed. That's a complicated viper pit at the moment and am not at liberty to discuss it at the moment, but trust me its a doozy.

It isn't all bad though! A brand new day has dawned for our household with addition of another family member. Astra, our super puppy, has been home for 4 days now and is a handful. My experiences with her so far have reinforced my desire to never procreate of my own will and volition. But she is wonderful and we love her dearly. Pictures forthcoming.

My painting has taken an amazing leap forward and managed to land me a bronze at Reapercon a couple weeks back, so that was fun. First medal ever. Feels gooooood.

Anywho, more writing on this thing since I don't have much else to do. Look forward to doing some shouting into the void since it is always so cathartic.

On Finding Morals Postgod

I am sure that many of us have heard the absolutely hilarious myth that if you do not believe in a deity, or subscribe to a religion then you amoral. This is patently absurd and is best met with a bit of a chuckle.
Morality, as I see it, is derived from the feeling of empathy that we have.

Often the response is "Well, if there is no after life, what is the point?" It bothers me when this is the first thought about our morality. A desire for reward, or a fear of punishment, should not be the motivating factor for us to do good in this world. That is selfish and barely above self-preservation.

Morality is not something passive. It is not following the rules, and making sure all of your i's are dotted. No, it is something active. Something we must try to do, and do it only for the reason that we are here, now, and must live with our actions.

I do not need a god to judge me on this, for the worst judge is the one I must face in the mirror each morning. If I cannot live with what I have done to myself and my fellow man, then who can? I do not kill because to kill another is to void my own protest against someone killing me or those I love. To steal is to give up claim against others who take what is mine.

To live a moral life, all one must do is look at what they enjoy, and realize that without the order instilled by a basic moral code derived from basic human empathy it would likely disappear. It is not given to us by higher powers, it is not even authoritarian.

It is simply a social agreement between people that agree that mutual survival is greater than individual hedonistic pursuits and the dangers that those bring.

So, you do not need to look to the heavens to find what is the good path. You need only to look into a mirror and walk in the other person's shoes.

The other common claim is that godless morality is subjective. This is also false. There are some absolutes that manifest themselves. The problem with these absolutes is that they swim in an almost endless sea of gray special instances.

Is it always a bad thing to kill someone? I would argue that yes, it is. But what about the case of self defense? I would still say yes it is bad, but damned if it would stop me in defending myself and those that I care for.

Is it wrong to steal? Yes, obviously, you are taking what someone else has earned for yourself. But in the case of survival? Then the above case applies, but once again, I would not begrudge those who did it if it was a matter of life and death.

So what we have is a big machine that we have designed to protect ourselves and each other, that is held together with duct tape and boils down to don't fuck with each other and keep your hands to yourself. Do not cause harm, and do not hurt others for personal gain. Thats not that hard a concept, and we do not need a deity to help us through it.

Artist of the Week

Brandon Bird.

Most of you have probably already heard of him, but so what? The man has pop culture art cornered like a rodeo clown. Really, his paintings and illustrations speak for themselves, so go and check em out.

Now, a word from the dead.

The Atlantic has reprinted a book review written in 1860 by Asa Gray. Now, I know what you are thinking: "Who is this and why do I care?" (Unless you are savvy on such things, or read other blogs who found this interesting too)

This book reviews probably the most controversial printed object in history.
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

Now, I know the actual title is just On the Origin of Species, but I thought it looked more dramatic with the old title. So there it is, go read it and see what Darwin's friends thought at the time.

Shoo!