[chezlaw]

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Have you ever come across a moral precept in which causing needless suffering isn't bad/wrong?

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I don't believe so. There might be some strange cults that think pain/suffering is good... but, not that I know of.

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And why do you think BAD is bad (if you see what I mean)?

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I'm not sure I see what you mean... but I think BAD is bad because it decreases happiness or increases suffering. I know that's by definition... I can try to expound if you want me to?

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Its not just any old definition, you're trying to capture what we mean by morality. Otherwise you could have just as well chosen to maximise life expectancy or gene spread or shoesize.

It seems you've chosen happiness because you recognise happiness as a good thing and suffering as a bad thing.

Why is that, and why does it seem to be the case that everyones agrees that your precept is basically correct?

chez