I found myself in a discussion about historical materialism where I ended up saying something along the lines of “scientific progress helps us to build more ethical societies because it enables us to see through the injustices of race, religion, and capitalism.” I was kind of firing from the hip, but I couldn’t think of anything better to say. My conversation partner asked me if I thought you could do a scientific experiment or analysis on a moral problem, and I was frankly stumped.
I know we aren’t supposed to think in moral categories, but I sense every one of us thinks, and correct me if I’m wrong, that capitalism is wrong and communism is right morally speaking. With that in mind, as contradictions are resolved per historical materialism and as different peoples have socialist revolutions within their societies, do these societies become more moral in any sense?
Morality is subjective.
Is it moral that some people work multiple jobs and barely survive?
Is it moral to have the bodys of refugees wash up at the shore because the country said they don’t want to take in that many?
Obviously these questions evoke our natural response of “No!”. But you would be shocked how, when asked these questions in the context of a debate between lib and ml, most libs might say that these are moral failings that are necessary and are outweighed by the good of the “fReE MaRkEt”.