http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9802/pannenberg.html

“Reason’s last step is the recognition that there are an infinite number of things which are beyond it.” (Pascal)

Evil is controlled by the majority? Very dubious assertion, that. Ask a slave if evil is controlled by the majority, and he’ll agree, it is controlled, but not in his favor.

It’s true, as Micha says, the current lack of bodies on your DC sidewalk is not to be taken for granted.

The current lack of bodies on your DC sidewalk is not to be taken for granted, nor is it to be attributed to the innate self-correcting properties of the human conscience.

Would that it were the case.

I would argue that there is in fact something in human nature that causes most people to care about the common good.”

My point was that the common good won’t do as a standard, but if you’re on the right track at all then perhaps it was premature to dismiss natural rights as a story.

I’ll agree with your latest post, but then how do we add a greater incentive? If people stop beliving the story you can’t just order them change their minds.

I would argue that there is in fact something in human nature that causes most people to care about the common good. If it were otherwise I don’t think civilization would be possible at all. Even people who give up Christianity tend to either go to some flaky new age stuff or else they are like Will and come up to some other solution. The minority are called sociopaths or narcissists and become lawyers or middle managers. They are commonly hated and reviled, but their evil is controlled to a degree by the majority. In other words, I think it is human nature that makes people care. In their desire to rationalize they may create god, but god is secondary.