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Single Idea 8008

[filed under theme 29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 5. Bible ]

Full Idea

The Bible is a story about God in which human beings appear as incidental characters.

Gist of Idea

The Bible is a story about God in which humans are incidental characters

Source

Alasdair MacIntyre (A Short History of Ethics [1967], Ch. 9)

Book Ref

MacIntyre,Alasdair: 'A Short History of Ethics' [Routledge 1967], p.110


A Reaction

Very illuminating. He creates man, is betrayed by man, drowns him and starts again, sends a redeemer who gets murdered, and finally enlightens a small band who continue the uphill struggle to promote God's way. What next?


The 11 ideas from 'A Short History of Ethics'

'Dikaiosune' is justice, but also fairness and personal integrity [MacIntyre]
Sophists don't distinguish a person outside one social order from someone outside all order [MacIntyre]
When Aristotle speaks of soul he means something like personality [MacIntyre]
'Happiness' is a bad translation of 'eudaimonia', which includes both behaving and faring well [MacIntyre]
The Bible is a story about God in which humans are incidental characters [MacIntyre]
The value/fact logical gulf is misleading, because social facts involve values [MacIntyre]
In the Reformation, morality became unconditional but irrational, individually autonomous, and secular [MacIntyre]
The Levellers and the Diggers mark a turning point in the history of morality [MacIntyre]
I am naturally free if I am not tied to anyone by a contract [MacIntyre]
My duties depend on my identity, which depends on my social relations [MacIntyre]
Fans of natural rights or laws can't agree on what the actual rights or laws are [MacIntyre]