It is unethical, but this is a serious question, do people even have ethics...or even morals anymore?

I'm not trying to sound...prudish or old-fashioned, but this society is dirty.

For example, I was just reading a top post on /r/sex about a girl who has an open relationship and she got raped by some guy outside of her relationship. I was thinking how strange it is for this sort of thing to be completely normal.

Then there are those who go to church or whatever, and their morals are based on what somebody tells them. By the way, I actually recently go into Christianity and I am shocked that most don't even read the Bible. They'd rather base their morals on weird traditions and rituals that aren't even bible-based.

For those who are not religious or spiritual, we have an "anything goes" society. The philosophy I see is, "as long as it makes people happy!" There seems to be no further thought beyond that. By the way I'm not saying an atheist can't be moral or ethical. However, I'm saying most people don't think, and most people don't care.

Then we have a society that picks and chooses who is cared about. Let's have months of news about a kidnapped girl (not that that isn't terrible), but let's never discuss the homeless or the downtrodden (unless it is to judge them and feel better about ourselves).

Our society feels upside down. For those who feel they have morals, they just listen to what somebody tells them to do - they don't think for themselves about the implications. Then there are those who are apathetic about it all. Then there are those who are just so narcissistic, they can't think beyond themselves on a daily basis. On top of that, how many people actually reflect on whether or not they are actual good people. Most people do but don't think about their actions.

I'm not trying to act like an angel. If anything, I have really started questioning why I believe what I believe, and I've been trying to eliminate selfish motivations from my lives.

With that being said, I think once you get to a certain position in society (like working for Reddit or another big corporation), morals and ethics aren't even in your vocabulary.

it's important to remember that morals are entirely a subjective social construct

Well this is definitely a philosophical debate. I read about it all of the time.

Even if that is so, when our society is completely without morals and ethics - or contradictory morals and ethics, clearly there will be great consequences.

when would you say we became an immoral society? because I don't think we ever were moral.

True, I don't think society was ever perfect, but I think there was an agenda put in place to "corrupt" people.

I rarely watch TV, but when I do, I cannot believe what passes for entertainment now. I admit I'm a sensitive person, but Jesus, the fact that people can sit through some of this stuff with no emotion is so strange to me. By the way, I understand a lot of TV is fiction, but it still makes me uncomfortable.

The other day I heard a quote. When we can laugh at something, it has become normalized. Think of all the things that have been normalized in the past 20 years.

It's like, what is the line? Is there a line?

That's the agenda though, I think. To make people completely desensitized, emotionless, and above all, apathetic.

Well it's almost like you're trying to say we weren't ever a utopia. We never will be. Not while your DNA is recognizable.

Do you not know about ideological subversion?

It’s important to remember that moral relativists are mentally defective piles of shit. You know absolutely nothing whatsoever about what you’re failing to discuss. You’re completely wrong. Child rape is not “okay” simply because a society practices it.

Conservatism is fundamentally predicated on the belief that there is a single, objective reality that is intelligible (read: can be understood). This, in turn, leads one to adopt specific codes of conduct and behaviors that we call a moral core. Leftist thought is fundamentally predicated on the belief that everything is subjective and nothing is objectively true or capable of being understood. This, in turn, leads one to adopt a fluid and contradictory moral relativism. Leftists often attack conservatives for being hypocritical. Indeed, conservatives can be very hypocritical. Take, for example, anti-drug politicians who abuse alcohol, or so called “free market capitalists” that give subsidies to oil companies. They get attacked for this stuff all the time, and I’d say you’re right to call them hypocrites.

Here’s the kicker: a moral relativist cannot be a hypocrite, because there is no situation where he’s objectively in the wrong, even when he is acting in disagreement with his own “morals.” You can’t call someone a moral hypocrite if they functionally have no morals. So when Hillary Clinton professes to be a feminist while taking donations from regimes that abuse women, or Obama professes to be transparent while obsessing over secrecy, or Michael Moore makes a movie trashing capitalism while making cash hand over fist off it, there’s no problem for them. It’s all relative. They don’t care. The second big thing–and this is their most beloved tactic–is this: They accuse you of what they are doing to you. Just meditate on that sentence and you’ll start to see it everywhere.

Thus is the narrative of the Left: projection. Everything–everything–which serves as the foundation of leftist thought derives from emotionality, emotions being innately irrational. The left realizes this and so projects its own tragic flaws upon those it opposes, hence the consistent tend of leftists accusing anyone/thing that opposes their ideology of espousing irrational emotionality as the motive source. The most common emotions cited–the most common amongst leftists, no doubt–being hate and fear. Nearly everything that opposes leftists is claimed to derive from hate and fear. Racism in the Leftist narrative requires hatred and/or fear–they outright deny the capacity to espouse racism without such emotionality and have gradually redefined the word in the minds of the people to exhibit such requisite.

Opposition to feminism? Male fear and/or hatred of female “empowerment.”
Opposition to globalism? Fear and/or hatred of outsiders, xenoPHOBIA.
Opposition to Islam? IslamoPHOBIA.
Opposition to gays/trannies? HomoPHOBIA and transPHOBIA.
Support for an armed populace? Base animal fear, nothing more.

Everything–every single foundational component–of leftist ideology is rooted in fear and/or hatred, and this they project onto others, attempting to deny their own irrational emotionality and lay the consequences of such mindset upon their opposition. “It is not I who is fearful and hateful, but you! You are full of hate and fear, and thus you can be–must be–silenced and ignored.”

... what? is this a copypasta?

Well he's not wrong in about 90% of it.

Duality.

That’s not an argument, relativist. I honestly don’t see how you can operate in society on a day to day basis, since you pretend that nothing is objective. A conversation can’t even be had, because there’s a fundamental gap in comprehension between your worldview and reality. That’s why you didn’t comprehend what you read.

Two morals are universally accepted, though: make ourselves better, and develop more positive relationships with those around us. If we focus on those, we can come out alright.

I don't think those are universally accepted. In fact, from culture to culture you'll find a completely different set of ethics and morals. I was just having a discussion with some Native Americans about how humility is way more honored than "making ourselves better." Navajo tribe.

With that being said, I think that is the exact problem. American culture has no shared values, morals, and ethics. We are completely divided on nearly every issue, and I believe this is done purposely.

I don't know, I think that fits with what I said. Humility is good because it makes for more positive relationships. They value relationships over skills. However, that doesn't mean they accept the lazy drain on society. Becoming strong enough to be valuable to society is still important. People across cultures agree that relationships and skills are extremely important, but disagree on which skills and which relationships should be the main focus. Many cultures limit who you are allowed to have positive relationships with, which is toxic to society. If we focus our efforts on that problem, nourishing positive relationships across cultures, we can fix at least some of the problems.

But the problem is "better" is defined by marketers.

What you are describing is the slippery slope that people LOVE to counter with "that's not even real!" or "you're just being alarmist" or "you're too conservative!"

It is natural for younger people to want to push boundaries because they have no conception of its consequences. Problem is we now live in a society that has uplifted the essence of whims of young people. We are literally a society of children now.

Thank you for wording this so eloquently.

Growing up I could probably be described as an SJW. I didn't have the perspective and experience to form informed views. But I sure thought I was so right about everything.

I always thought the slippery slope arguments are stupid, but now I see articles defending pedophilia! Again, where's the line?

Gallowboob says otherwise.

Well this is definitely a philosophical debate. I read about it all of the time.

Even if that is so, when our society is completely without morals and ethics - or contradictory morals and ethics, clearly there will be great consequences.

It’s important to remember that moral relativists are mentally defective piles of shit. You know absolutely nothing whatsoever about what you’re failing to discuss. You’re completely wrong. Child rape is not “okay” simply because a society practices it.

Conservatism is fundamentally predicated on the belief that there is a single, objective reality that is intelligible (read: can be understood). This, in turn, leads one to adopt specific codes of conduct and behaviors that we call a moral core. Leftist thought is fundamentally predicated on the belief that everything is subjective and nothing is objectively true or capable of being understood. This, in turn, leads one to adopt a fluid and contradictory moral relativism. Leftists often attack conservatives for being hypocritical. Indeed, conservatives can be very hypocritical. Take, for example, anti-drug politicians who abuse alcohol, or so called “free market capitalists” that give subsidies to oil companies. They get attacked for this stuff all the time, and I’d say you’re right to call them hypocrites.

Here’s the kicker: a moral relativist cannot be a hypocrite, because there is no situation where he’s objectively in the wrong, even when he is acting in disagreement with his own “morals.” You can’t call someone a moral hypocrite if they functionally have no morals. So when Hillary Clinton professes to be a feminist while taking donations from regimes that abuse women, or Obama professes to be transparent while obsessing over secrecy, or Michael Moore makes a movie trashing capitalism while making cash hand over fist off it, there’s no problem for them. It’s all relative. They don’t care. The second big thing–and this is their most beloved tactic–is this: They accuse you of what they are doing to you. Just meditate on that sentence and you’ll start to see it everywhere.

Thus is the narrative of the Left: projection. Everything–everything–which serves as the foundation of leftist thought derives from emotionality, emotions being innately irrational. The left realizes this and so projects its own tragic flaws upon those it opposes, hence the consistent tend of leftists accusing anyone/thing that opposes their ideology of espousing irrational emotionality as the motive source. The most common emotions cited–the most common amongst leftists, no doubt–being hate and fear. Nearly everything that opposes leftists is claimed to derive from hate and fear. Racism in the Leftist narrative requires hatred and/or fear–they outright deny the capacity to espouse racism without such emotionality and have gradually redefined the word in the minds of the people to exhibit such requisite.

Opposition to feminism? Male fear and/or hatred of female “empowerment.”
Opposition to globalism? Fear and/or hatred of outsiders, xenoPHOBIA.
Opposition to Islam? IslamoPHOBIA.
Opposition to gays/trannies? HomoPHOBIA and transPHOBIA.
Support for an armed populace? Base animal fear, nothing more.

Everything–every single foundational component–of leftist ideology is rooted in fear and/or hatred, and this they project onto others, attempting to deny their own irrational emotionality and lay the consequences of such mindset upon their opposition. “It is not I who is fearful and hateful, but you! You are full of hate and fear, and thus you can be–must be–silenced and ignored.”