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Single Idea 6032

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 9. Contractualism ]

Full Idea

Right action is whatever, once it has been done, has a reasonable justification.

Gist of Idea

Right actions, once done, are those with a reasonable justification

Source

Sextus Empiricus (Against the Professors (six books) [c.180], 7.158)

Book Ref

'The Hellenistic Philosophers:Vol.1 translations', ed/tr. Long,A. /Sedley,D. [CUP 1987], p.451

A Reaction

Why does he add 'once it has been done'? Wouldn't a proposed action be right if it had a reasonable justification? This grows out of the classical and Stoic emphasis on reason in ethics, and leads towards Scanlon's Contractualism.

The 4 ideas with the same theme [morality is being able to give good reasons]:

6032 Right actions, once done, are those with a reasonable justification [Sext.Empiricus]
15671 Move from individual willing of a general law, to willing norms agreed with other people [Habermas]
20992 Right and wrong concerns what other people cannot reasonably reject [Scanlon]
21005 A human right is not plausible if public scrutiny might reject it [Sen]