I mean that I see them as equivalent in where they come from i.e. personal taste, rather than having some absolute validity outside of my own head. While I might indeed want to stop you killing someone, this would be because it would make me feel happier to do so. I wouldn't be able to tell you not to do it "because killing is Wrong"; I could only tell you not to do it "because it upsets me".
And actually I'm not sure there is a clear distinction of the sort you describe between moral and aesthetic preferences (for me, anyway). On some level, I do want other people to share my aesthetic preferences: I find it mildly disturbing to think of my friends enjoying peas and country music :-) And equally I have some moral preferences which I would hardly wish to impose on other people e.g. vegetarianism, not smoking, childlessness.
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Date: 2006-02-23 12:26 pm (UTC)And actually I'm not sure there is a clear distinction of the sort you describe between moral and aesthetic preferences (for me, anyway). On some level, I do want other people to share my aesthetic preferences: I find it mildly disturbing to think of my friends enjoying peas and country music :-) And equally I have some moral preferences which I would hardly wish to impose on other people e.g. vegetarianism, not smoking, childlessness.