[tpaine]

Our superiority to these men [Hitler/Marx] and systems is indeed in our reasoning capability, - our ability to transcend 'devotion to a cause', - and instead live and let live, according to our self-evident golden rule [do onto others] - and to our Constitution.

So let's illustrate the conundrum of basing morality solely upon reason.
Why (reason needed here) is 'doing unto others as we would...' better than - of greater value - than not?

Why is following our golden rule/Constitution, of greater value - than not doing so? Odd, self evident question. Liberty is of greater value to men than socialism, - obviously.

Why do you see living under our constitutional rule of law as any sort of "conundrum"/charade?

[D-fendr]

"living under our constitutional rule of law" is not the condundrum. A moral/ethical system derived solely using reason is the condundrum.

This far you haven't solved it.

Why is following our golden rule/Constitution, of greater value - than not doing so?

Odd, self evident question.

"Self-evident" (as I listed eariler) is axiomatic, assumed, not derived from deductive, or even inductive, reasoning.

Liberty is of greater value to men than socialism, - obviously.

Then obviously you can give me the reason for it? Or some attempt at a logical syllogism?

To belabor the point, if I ask you "why is x better than y?" and you answer: "Obviously," You haven't used reason at all.