>A set of arbitrary unenforceable rules to shame practices that is decided by whoever convinced other ethicist to grant him a PhD.
As someone also skeptical of ethics, this isn't a very useful or helpful way to see it. You say ethics is arbitrary, but it's only as "arbitrary" as every other humen-made system, and there are some (good, in my judgement) theories on the connection to human evolution.
You say that ethical rules are decided by an ethicist going for a PhD, but historically, ethical discussion has happened outside the (formal) academy, never mind just to score a PhD. Why couldn't we say the same about sociology or economics, or even mathematics? It's not as though these people decide ethics for us - ethicists only decide ethics to the extent that artists decide what's blue or red. It's a process you are more than welcome to engage in from "the outside", and you don't need a degree in philosophy to do so. The fact that you may be ignored is irrelevant to the correctness of your theories.
If you disagree with an ethical theory, even a popular one, it's your freedom to refuse to obey them when imposed for the reasons you put forward. It may even be a moral responsibility to do so.
You say ethics is unenforcable. This is quite clearly either trivially true, or false - ethics has been and is enforced by levaging moral responsibility both on the conscience of the actor, and what society will tolerate (usually when ethics may process to law). Shame and guilt are also motivating factors.
You speak as though there is no ethics behind making bad practices illegal, but law is filled to the brim with such debates that often hinge on ethics, or principles we will or won't give up for ethics. To take a recent example, debate around freedom of speech or religion. The whole reasoning behind those "self-evident" freedoms is our ethical reasoning.
Ethical reasoning is neither static, nor ever in the best possible state. Ethical discussion (mind you, led mostly by people who aren't experts in ethics) over the past 100 years alone has changed so much. To dismiss it on the grounds that it changes is to your own detriment as someone who, like everyone else, is part of the constant ethical dialogue. By refusing to engage with the philosophy PhDs in reasoned argument, you're giving up your "vote", so to speak.
When I see an argument or position in philosophy which is too narrow, built on false premises, ignorant of previous research, or simply logically fallacious, I don't throw my hands up and sneer at those careerist PhDs in their ivory tower. I don't give away my seat at the table, bury my head in the sand and insist they're wrong for reasons I refuse to articulate. Instead, I form my principles for myself, and if questioned why I don't follow the current trendy theory, my answer is simple - "It's wrong, and here's why..."
As someone also skeptical of ethics, this isn't a very useful or helpful way to see it. You say ethics is arbitrary, but it's only as "arbitrary" as every other humen-made system, and there are some (good, in my judgement) theories on the connection to human evolution.
You say that ethical rules are decided by an ethicist going for a PhD, but historically, ethical discussion has happened outside the (formal) academy, never mind just to score a PhD. Why couldn't we say the same about sociology or economics, or even mathematics? It's not as though these people decide ethics for us - ethicists only decide ethics to the extent that artists decide what's blue or red. It's a process you are more than welcome to engage in from "the outside", and you don't need a degree in philosophy to do so. The fact that you may be ignored is irrelevant to the correctness of your theories.
If you disagree with an ethical theory, even a popular one, it's your freedom to refuse to obey them when imposed for the reasons you put forward. It may even be a moral responsibility to do so.
You say ethics is unenforcable. This is quite clearly either trivially true, or false - ethics has been and is enforced by levaging moral responsibility both on the conscience of the actor, and what society will tolerate (usually when ethics may process to law). Shame and guilt are also motivating factors.
You speak as though there is no ethics behind making bad practices illegal, but law is filled to the brim with such debates that often hinge on ethics, or principles we will or won't give up for ethics. To take a recent example, debate around freedom of speech or religion. The whole reasoning behind those "self-evident" freedoms is our ethical reasoning.
Ethical reasoning is neither static, nor ever in the best possible state. Ethical discussion (mind you, led mostly by people who aren't experts in ethics) over the past 100 years alone has changed so much. To dismiss it on the grounds that it changes is to your own detriment as someone who, like everyone else, is part of the constant ethical dialogue. By refusing to engage with the philosophy PhDs in reasoned argument, you're giving up your "vote", so to speak.
When I see an argument or position in philosophy which is too narrow, built on false premises, ignorant of previous research, or simply logically fallacious, I don't throw my hands up and sneer at those careerist PhDs in their ivory tower. I don't give away my seat at the table, bury my head in the sand and insist they're wrong for reasons I refuse to articulate. Instead, I form my principles for myself, and if questioned why I don't follow the current trendy theory, my answer is simple - "It's wrong, and here's why..."