This tribe is dedicated to the discussion of morals and ethics. Why do morals and ethics exist? What are the benefits or burdens on individuals and societies?


These topics include but are certainly not limited to:

Governmental ethics
Religious morals
Medical ethics
Bioethics
Social contracts
Global ethics
Computer ethics

Please read the following etiquette rules section, especially if you are used to "shaking things up to see what happens" in other forums...

Ethics and Morals tribe etiquette (June 15, 2009):

1. You can start a thread topic on any subject having to do with ethics and morals here, as long as you follow the below guidelines. When you start a topic for discussion, please ask a question or state where you would like the discussion to go or be about. This helps other members figure out whether or not they can actually discuss the topic in the way you'd like it discussed. If you are not sure whether a topic you wish to start here is appropriate and/or where the discussion might lead, you can either message me privately or you can start the topic and see what others have to say. New topics here that do not fall into the moderators understanding of what this forum is about may be deleted.

2. I expect folks to be as respectful of thread topics that are appropriate to this forum. Respectful means 1) posts encourage discussion on the original topic of a thread. Banter is fine as long as it does not detract largely from the topic of a thread. If banter starts obviously confusing a topic discussion or seems disrespectful to the originator of a thread that will typically not be tolerated, especially if I get a PM about it. Use of cheap rhetorical devices was historically acceptable in this tribe. In future, however, only those cheap rhetorical devices that are humorous at little or no expense to the intended target or idea or thought will be tolerated. Help keep the vitriol down and the useful content up...

3. Threaded postings and replies are the expected norm. In case you weren't aware, in the top right corner of a topic view web page, there are three possible ways to sort posts in a topic thread. I'd like contributors here to try to use the "threaded" link to view a topic's posts before they reply in a thread. Why? Because using the other two ways of viewing a thread and then replying in an "unthreaded" or "ascending" manner typically results in topic discussion confusion as posts begin appearing out of order to those who would like to follow the discussion in a coherent fashion.

4. Gobbledy-guck and trolleries. In this forum, a modicum of respect will be shown to those actually seeking to explore a topic of discussion, especially to those folks who admit to having an open mind. This forum is about intellectual gobbledy->>>GOOD<<<, NOT gobbledy->>>GUCK<<<. Anyone who cannot seem to avoid moving thread discussions back to their favorite area of discussion, especially if they are repeatedly expressing the same sentiments over and over again, after a random number of warnings from me, between 0 and 'WTFH?!?!', will be removed from this tribes membership list. My experience is that once someone has been warned about being out of line more than once or twice, when it just isn't sinking in, is that they like the feeling of being ejected from forums.

5. Forbearance of the moderator. As part of my own self-etiquette checklist, as moderator I will try to keep an open mind to topic discussions and folks opinions with regard to their feelings and ethical and morally structured points of views. As the moderator, as with all moderators, there is a bias of some sort. If you think I am being too biased for or against a certain point of view, as moderator, I encourage you to message me in private or start a thread to discuss the issue publicly if you can't figure out how to message me in private or it really is an issue that might benefit the whole wide world by dissemination. Expect though that if I detect a hint of gobbledy-guck creeping in...well, I just hope that your comprehension of what respectful conduct is is better than that. In the past this tribe had a more 'Wild West' feel to it and I'm reining that in now...hopefully not too much...as an 'experiment in reasoned discussion'.

6. Bones to pick. Do not continually seek to get under the skin of folks you happen to disagree with in this forum. While shaking someone up every now and then may get them to consider something they had not thought of before, it is not a strategy to demonstrate just because you can or just because you get some sort of emotional high out of it.

7. As a member of tribe, you are responsible for abiding tribe.net's written rules of conduct and license agreements. The links at the bottom of this page will provide this information (circa late 2008 anyways). If you are generally a responsible and respectful person and are not exploring the extreme limits of free speech you probably won't get into much trouble here. If you came here seeking trouble, I suggest that you consider joining the Extreme Honesty tribe or the Heated Debate tribe instead of this tribe.

8. Projection. Prejudging is an easy way for working out an interaction in advance in brain-space. Try not to use prejudging to the detriment of others here. For some, this will be difficult as most cultures and belief systems involve prejudicial ways of thinking. If I see someone continuing to make prejudicial statements about others beliefs, especially, other members of this forums beliefs through blanket statements about "atheists" or "Christians" or "Urangians", etc, blah blah blah, I'm probably going to step in.

9. The moderator is a human being. If I make a comment as moderator, I will sign it something like "The Moderator", or "Moderator" or some such. If I do not sign something that way, I am only giving you my personal opinion or views on some topic under discussion or some topic which I have started. If I do sign a post as the moderator of the tribe though, please heed my advice as best you can. In general, I hope to not participate in a discussion as moderator except in topics that are specifically set up to discuss the housekeeping details and content of this forum. If someone is continually egging me on, forcing me to continually discuss my moderating style, I'm going to kick them out, especially if I've given them a warning or three.

10. There are a lot of threads here and a few of the members here have been here in this forum since it was founded five years ago now. If you are new to this tribe, you might want to read some of the older threads and topics and comment on them if you do not see any current topics that interest you.

This section will be modified as necessary. I will post to the appropriate thread to let you know it's changed when/if I change it.

--Ethics and Morals Tribe Moderator

http://EthicsAndMorals.tribe.net