Can morality be reduced to merely having good intentions?

[McCulloch]

I think that some people who support abortion have good intentions, and are generally concerned about women's rights. These are not the grounds of immorality though.

Even people with good intentions can act immorally. Or is it that all that is required, in your view, to be moral is to have good intentions?

To be moral is to have good intentions. If I slip on a bannana peel and kill a dog, it is not an immoral action because it was not my intent to do so.

Can morality be reduced to merely having good intentions?

[LiamOS]

I'm less scared of taking LSD than I am of crossing the street.

Can you give me a reason to think it should be otherwise?

[mgb]

I'm less scared of taking LSD than I am of crossing the street.

Can you give me a reason to think it should be otherwise?

Yes. You have heard of the many victims of psychadelic drug abuse? Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd?

(Dave Gilmore (Pink Floyd) related the story of how S. B. turned up at the studio once with a toothbrush. Instead of moving the toothbrush he held it still against his teeth and proceeded to jump up and down. He had gone mad at this point from taking LSD. He was a very gifted artist/musician and drugs reduced him to an imbicile)

This is why I say I would fear them.

[LiamOS]

That's why I'd not overdo it rather than be scared of them. What he did is equivalent to doing 200mph on a crowded city street.
Does the fact that you can do something badly mean that it cannot be good?

I will ask again: Is there any reason to be fearful of psychedelic drugs if one is not predisposed to schizophrenia or psychotic episodes?

Edit: I added that bit on because that'd obviously a bad move in the same way that skydiving with no parachute is.

[Kuan]

I personaly wouldnt take a psychedelic drug because of health reasons, but I wont judge someone for taking them, in fact there seems to be somewhat a respect for them because they dont fear society, I just hope they know what the consequences are, positive or negative.

[LiamOS]

I personaly wouldnt take a psychedelic drug because of health reasons, but I wont judge someone for taking them, [...] I just hope they know what the consequences are, positive or negative.

Assuming that the consequences aren't of any detriment to others, this idea is almost always applicable and preferred.

Sadly, I don't think most drug users actually have even a basic knowledge of the mechanics and effects of the drug of their choice.
Funnily enough, in no other drug is the level of abuse seen with alcohol noted. Next to nobody who takes alcohol recreationally has any clue of what it actually does to the body or the brain.

in fact there seems to be somewhat a respect for them because they dont fear society

While you'd be right in commending somebody for not giving into societal norms, I don't think users of psychedelic substances qualify for any more praise than Mormon's in a non-Mormon area or men who wear scarves.



There's a risk associated with all drugs, as with almost everything else. I'd hazard a guess that users of psychedelic substances are much more aware of the risks as well as what they are undertaking compared to your standard driver or cyclist(Now there's something to be scared of!).

[Kuan]

I personaly wouldnt take a psychedelic drug because of health reasons, but I wont judge someone for taking them, [...] I just hope they know what the consequences are, positive or negative.

Assuming that the consequences aren't of any detriment to others, this idea is almost always applicable and preferred.

Sadly, I don't think most drug users actually have even a basic knowledge of the mechanics and effects of the drug of their choice.
Funnily enough, in no other drug is the level of abuse seen with alcohol noted. Next to nobody who takes alcohol recreationally has any clue of what it actually does to the body or the brain.

Most problems in any field come from misinformation and ignorance.

in fact there seems to be somewhat a respect for them because they dont fear society

While you'd be right in commending somebody for not giving into societal norms, I don't think users of psychedelic substances qualify for any more praise than Mormon's in a non-Mormon area or men who wear scarves.

Well I have a very high respect for those who are civil non-mormons. Especially when they deal with us every day!

There's a risk associated with all drugs, as with almost everything else. I'd hazard a guess that users of psychedelic substances are much more aware of the risks as well as what they are undertaking compared to your standard driver or cyclist(Now there's something to be scared of!).

I agree with this.

[mgb]

That's why I'd not overdo it rather than be scared of them. What he did is equivalent to doing 200mph on a crowded city street.
Does the fact that you can do something badly mean that it cannot be good?

I will ask again: Is there any reason to be fearful of psychedelic drugs if one is not predisposed to schizophrenia or psychotic episodes?

Edit: I added that bit on because that'd obviously a bad move in the same way that skydiving with no parachute is.

I don't believe that Syd Barrett was predisposed to schizophrenia. Does 'overdo' kick in when a person begins to go mad?

[LiamOS]

If you're not doing what one might consider an 'heroic' dose and you're taking appropriate measures to avoid unpleasant circumstances which could lead to a bad trip, the chances of 'going mad' are low enough to consider it a safe activity, in the same way one might consider walking up a staircase a safe activity.