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Single Idea 4325
[filed under theme 20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 2. Acting on Beliefs / a. Acting on beliefs
]
Full Idea
In contemporary philosophy of action, there is a fervid debate about whether any intentional action must be prompted in part by desire, or whether it is possible to be moved to action by a belief alone.
Gist of Idea
Must all actions be caused in part by a desire, or can a belief on its own be sufficient?
Source
Rosalind Hursthouse (On Virtue Ethics [1999], Intro)
Book Ref
Hursthouse,Rosalind: 'On Virtue Ethics' [OUP 2001], p.15
A Reaction
I want a cool belief to be sufficient to produce an action, because it will permit at least a Kantian dimension to ethics, and make judgement central, and marginalise emotivism, which is the spawn of Satan.
The
30 ideas
from 'On Virtue Ethics'
4325
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Must all actions be caused in part by a desire, or can a belief on its own be sufficient?
[Hursthouse]
|
4324
|
Animals and plants can 'flourish', but only rational beings can have eudaimonia
[Hursthouse]
|
4328
|
Preference utilitarianism aims to be completely value-free, or empirical
[Hursthouse]
|
4327
|
Deontologists do consider consequences, because they reveal when a rule might apply
[Hursthouse]
|
4335
|
'Codifiable' morality give rules for decisions which don't require wisdom
[Hursthouse]
|
4336
|
Any strict ranking of virtues or rules gets abandoned when faced with particular cases
[Hursthouse]
|
4334
|
Virtue ethics is open to the objection that it fails to show priority among the virtues
[Hursthouse]
|
4329
|
After a moral dilemma is resolved there is still a 'remainder', requiring (say) regret
[Hursthouse]
|
4330
|
Deontologists resolve moral dilemmas by saying the rule conflict is merely apparent
[Hursthouse]
|
4337
|
Teenagers are often quite wise about ideals, but rather stupid about consequences
[Hursthouse]
|
4341
|
Involuntary actions performed in tragic dilemmas are bad because they mar a good life
[Hursthouse]
|
4338
|
Deontologists usually accuse utilitarians of oversimplifying hard cases
[Hursthouse]
|
4343
|
We are torn between utilitarian and deontological views of lying, depending on the examples
[Hursthouse]
|
4339
|
According to virtue ethics, two agents may respond differently, and yet both be right
[Hursthouse]
|
4340
|
You are not a dishonest person if a tragic dilemma forces you to do something dishonest
[Hursthouse]
|
4346
|
The emotions of sympathy, compassion and love are no guarantee of right action or acting well
[Hursthouse]
|
4349
|
Virtuous people may not be fully clear about their reasons for action
[Hursthouse]
|
4351
|
It is a fantasy that only through the study of philosophy can one become virtuous
[Hursthouse]
|
4350
|
If people are virtuous in obedience to God, would they become wicked if they lost their faith?
[Hursthouse]
|
4354
|
Maybe in a deeply poisoned character none of their milder character traits could ever be a virtue
[Hursthouse]
|
4356
|
We are puzzled by a person who can show an exceptional virtue and also behave very badly
[Hursthouse]
|
4355
|
There may be inverse akrasia, where the agent's action is better than their judgement recommends
[Hursthouse]
|
4352
|
Performing an act simply because it is virtuous is sufficient to be 'morally motivated' or 'dutiful'
[Hursthouse]
|
4353
|
If moral motivation is an all-or-nothing sense of duty, how can children act morally?
[Hursthouse]
|
4359
|
When it comes to bringing up children, most of us think that the virtues are the best bet
[Hursthouse]
|
4358
|
Virtue may be neither sufficient nor necessary for eudaimonia
[Hursthouse]
|
4361
|
Good animals can survive, breed, feel characteristic pleasure and pain, and contribute to the group
[Hursthouse]
|
4364
|
Being unusually virtuous in some areas may entail being less virtuous in others
[Hursthouse]
|
4363
|
The word 'person' is useless in ethics, because what counts as a good or bad self-conscious being?
[Hursthouse]
|
4365
|
We are distinct from other animals in behaving rationally - pursuing something as good, for reasons
[Hursthouse]
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