Howdy again Onacruse,
:: I think that the highest ethical obligation is to preserve life.
: Not necessarily.
I certainly didn't mean the above as a blanket statement of my opinion, covering any and all circumstances. I even gave examples of exceptions where I would let other considerations supercede it. And keep in mind: I am not stating this as a principle by which anyone else ought to conduct himself, but only as to how I conduct myself.
: For example, there are numerous societies that consider euthanasia ethical (including doctor-assisted suicide here in Oregon);
Within strictly defined limits, of course. In Oregon, if I remember right, the person must be judged by a panel of doctors to be terminal, and the person must pass strict tests to prove to the state that he is of sound mind and knows exactly what he is doing. This is precisely what my example about me and my wife is all about; we fully agree with Oregon's law. This stance, I think, is consistent with the general intent of my above expressed opinion.
: also, the right to refuse any number of medical treatments (e.g. chemotherapy, corrective surgery, etc), even though such refusal will, according to all the best medical opinions, result in the "premature" termination of life (even as with my brother; he declined "standard" treatment for his cancer, and as an informed adult he was fully within his rights to make that decision, regardless of the oncologist's protests).
I understand that. But we're not talking about refusal of treatment in such cases. We're talking about refusal of treatment that will result in the near-immediate death of a person in dire circumstances, such as bleeding profusely in an emergency room situation. When such a person loses all his blood, he dies, period -- Minimus' protestations notwithstanding.
: As HS says, "Society determines those standards."
That's one aspect of the issue, of course, but we each must also determine our own standards. Sometimes those may differ from government-issue societal standards. A good example is in the majority of American states where any kind of euthanasia is illegal. The standards differ from Oregon's. Who is to say what is right in an absolute sense? By absolute sense, I mean apart from the vagaries of opinion that result in the laws of one state being different from those of another. I know that this isn't particularly sharp, but I think you know what I mean.
: If, therefore, a certain practice is deemed acceptable by Society, than that determination, and that determination alone defines "ethical."
Not at all. It determines what is legal. What is ethical and what is legal often differ tremendously. I'm sure you can think of examples as well as I can.
: Granted, what is considered ethical may not meet up with our own moral principles,
Precisely my point about expressing my opinion on this issue, as opposed to stating what others should do.
: but what we personally consider to be morally correct is by definition self-determined.
Of course.
: Playing Superman (yeah, like you'd fit into the suit LOL )
Don't make fun or I'll put one on and post a picture!
: ...hmmmmm, good question. To be consistent, I'd have to say that if I was satisfied that you were sane and sound, under no external coercion, and fully aware of the inevitable consequences of your act, then I'd let you jump.
But that's just the point. The fact that I thought that I could fly would be positive proof that I was out of my mind. If I chose to jump for reasons other than thinking that I could fly, that would be different. But the fact is that I cannot fly. If I believe I can, I am by definition nuts. I might have been deceived into believing I could fly by some snake oil salesman, but I would still be nuts. The same goes for anyone who rejects the facts in favor of JW teaching about blood transfusions. Of course, there are precious few JWs who know the facts, since almost all of them are thoroughly deceived by Watchtower misrepresentations. And just as you would almost certainly try to save the life of a braindead Superman about to jump off the roof, so would I try to save the life of a braindead JW trying to obey the ridiculous commands of a self-proclaimed "prophet class" living in New York.
: Out of curiosity, I just called the local police department, to see what ethical standards apply in Oregon; I'm under no legal obligation to prevent you from jumping.
Of course. But we're talking about what we personally see as moral obligations. In most states, one is under no legal obligation to report child abuse. That doesn't make it ethical not to report.
: Obviously, I would have an extreme sense of moral duty to do everything within my power to prevent you from jumping,
I'm happy to hear that. When I don my Superman costume, I'll make sure not to do it in Oregon.
: but as a consenting adult you are free to terminate your existence whenever and however you want.
Agreed, within the bounds I've set forth in these posts.
See what you started with that phone call last night?
AlanF