- two things suffice to conduct me to the theoretic ground of an ethic: the phenomenon of a cosmic safehold and our concept of moral law   cosmic safehold + ‘moral law’ → ethic : re `cosmic safehold` see ~/work/safehold/ : *The presence throughout the cosmos of a safehold fit for securing our long-term survival.* : re `moral law` see `^*Pearsall.+2003.+Oxford dictionary of English`s @ sources.brec : ‘(in some systems of ethics) an absolute principle defining the criteria of right action (whether conceived as a divine ordinance or a truth of reason)’ : re `ethic` see doi:10.1093/OED/2656971922 : *Oxford English dictionary*, ‘ethic (n.), sense b,’ June 2026. : ‘A system or set of moral principles’. - the first evidences a source of morals, the second represents its conduit into society, and the two in conjunction yield under analysis the conditions of moral law whose fulfillment would constitute the theoretic ground of an ethic : re `the first (.+ a source of morals)` see `^*- the phenomenon of the cosmic safehold ${same}$` !! ‘evidences’ is rhetorically misleading here at the outset, seeming to premise the conclusion - already I claim the conclusion at the end of the summary, which is where it belongs - what belongs at the outset is the crucial premise of the safehold, its presence - from that, I need only an ‘indication’ (not the conclusion-begging ‘evidence’) of a source of morals in order to ‘conduct’ me onward to that conclusion : re `the second (represent)s its (conduit into society)` see `^*- we ${1} that source’s ${2} through our concept of moral law$` : re `(the two in conjunction).+(yield) under (analysis) (the conditions.+of an ethic)$`s see `^*- ${3} of ${1}.+${2}s ${4}$`p - the evidence shows moreover that these conditions are met and {therewith} an ethic of moral law is in effect : re `(the) (evidence) (shows).+(that.+)`s see `^*- ${1}.+${2}.+${3} ${4}`p - the phenomenon of the cosmic safehold evidences a source of morals - [because] what explains the presence of that safehold? - an aetiologic survey that aims for exhaustive coverage by typological division turns up the following results table, Known, possible explanantia for the cosmic safehold ┈ explain- truth mode name of explanans able of explanans yes necessary physical necessity supernatural design ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ contingent natural cosmogonal selection constrained multiverse ensemble mundane design ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ no null, brute fact : re `an aetiologic survey.+by typological division` see ~/work/safehold/aetiology/ : *Aetiology of the cosmic safehold.* - the known, possible explanantia include some artificial, some natural, and a null explanans - only the artificial imply a moral source - there are two of them • supernatural design by God : re `^*• (.+ design) .+` see `^^${same}$` @ ~/work/safehold/aetiology/text.brec • mundane design by cosmic creators : re `^*• (.+ design) .+` see `^^${same}$` @ ~/work/safehold/aetiology/text.brec - both rest on what tradition gives to be such a source, namely a universal or cosmic creator - none of the three natural explanantia has any moral bearing in itself - rather each lies in a state of indeterminate suspense, resting on a theory of physics that has yet to be formulated, or a feature of nature that has yet to be discovered, such that the whole larger question of what the safehold evidences and whether or not it bears on morals might itself appear constrained to wait on future developments in physics : re `resting on a (theory) of (physics) that has yet to be formulated`p see `^*• .+structure is explainable by a.+yet unknown.+${1} of fundamental ${2}` @ ~/work/safehold/aetiology/text.brec : re `resting on a.+feature of (natur)e that has yet to be discovered`s see `^*• any actual path is the cull of a.+yet unknown.+${1}al process` @ ~/work/safehold/aetiology/text.brec : re `resting on a.+feature of nature that has yet to be discovered`s see `^*• the conditions.+are bound.+by a.+yet unknown.+constraint of.+cosmogony`s @ ~/work/safehold/aetiology/text.brec - but the artificial explanantia, for their part, need not wait on such developments - already each is determinate enough to be explicated and put to practical use - and as I work at that, I happen upon larger considerations that speak in favour of the artificial explanantia, giving me reason to believe that the safehold is indeed an artifact of creative design, considerations in which a feature of the safehold serves as evidence of that design and therewith of a source of morals in a universal or cosmic creator : re `(a source) of morals in (a universal or cosmic creator)` see `what tradition gives to be such ${1}, namely ${2}$`p - we represent that source’s conduit into society through our concept of moral law - analysis of the two in conjunction (source and concept) yields the conditions of moral law whose fulfillment would constitute the theoretic ground of an ethic - the particular moral source that is evidenced determines the particular concept of moral law - analysis of that law’s concept yields its conditions, what it would take to realize that law and {therewith} its ethic - the total of evidence now available shows that these conditions are met and {therewith} an ethic of moral law is in effect