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Single Idea 8062
[filed under theme 2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 9. Limits of Reason
]
Full Idea
Arguments in philosophy rarely take the form of proofs; and the most successful arguments on topics central to philosophy never do. (The ideal of proof is a relatively barren one in philosophy).
Gist of Idea
Proof is a barren idea in philosophy, and the best philosophy never involves proof
Source
Alasdair MacIntyre (After Virtue: a Study in Moral Theory [1981], Ch.18)
Book Ref
MacIntyre,Alasdair: 'After Virtue: a Study in Moral Theory' [Duckworth 1982], p.241
A Reaction
He seems proud of this, but he must settle for something which is less than proof, which has to be vindicated to the mathematicians and scientists. I agree, though. Plato is the model, and the best philosophy builds a broad persuasive picture.
The
40 ideas
from Alasdair MacIntyre
7097
|
Virtue is secondary to a role-figure, defined within a culture
[MacIntyre, by Statman]
|
8034
|
We still have the appearance and language of morality, but we no longer understand it
[MacIntyre]
|
8036
|
Unlike expressions of personal preference, evaluative expressions do not depend on context
[MacIntyre]
|
8038
|
Since Moore thinks the right action produces the most good, he is a utilitarian
[MacIntyre]
|
8035
|
In trying to explain the type of approval involved, emotivists are either silent, or viciously circular
[MacIntyre]
|
8037
|
The expression of feeling in a sentence is in its use, not in its meaning
[MacIntyre]
|
8040
|
Emotivism cannot explain the logical terms in moral discourse ('therefore', 'if..then')
[MacIntyre]
|
8042
|
Nowadays most people are emotivists, and it is embodied in our culture
[MacIntyre]
|
8043
|
Characters are the masks worn by moral philosophies
[MacIntyre]
|
8045
|
The failure of Enlightenment attempts to justify morality will explain our own culture
[MacIntyre]
|
8047
|
Philosophy has been marginalised by its failure in the Enlightenment to replace religion
[MacIntyre]
|
8049
|
Moral judgements now are anachronisms from a theistic age
[MacIntyre]
|
8048
|
When 'man' is thought of individually, apart from all roles, it ceases to be a functional concept
[MacIntyre]
|
8050
|
There are no natural or human rights, and belief in them is nonsense
[MacIntyre]
|
8051
|
Mention of 'intuition' in morality means something has gone wrong with the argument
[MacIntyre]
|
8052
|
To find empiricism and science in the same culture is surprising, as they are really incompatible
[MacIntyre]
|
8053
|
Twentieth century social life is re-enacting eighteenth century philosophy
[MacIntyre]
|
8057
|
Unpredictability doesn't entail inexplicability, and predictability doesn't entail explicability
[MacIntyre]
|
8054
|
Social sciences discover no law-like generalisations, and tend to ignore counterexamples
[MacIntyre]
|
8056
|
AI can't predict innovation, or consequences, or external relations, or external events
[MacIntyre]
|
8055
|
If God is omniscient, he confronts no as yet unmade decisions, so decisions are impossible
[MacIntyre]
|
8058
|
Maybe we can only understand rules if we first understand the virtues
[MacIntyre]
|
8059
|
The good life for man is the life spent seeking the good life for man
[MacIntyre]
|
8060
|
In the 17th-18th centuries morality offered a cure for egoism, through altruism
[MacIntyre]
|
8061
|
If morality just is emotion, there are no external criteria for judging emotions
[MacIntyre]
|
8062
|
Proof is a barren idea in philosophy, and the best philosophy never involves proof
[MacIntyre]
|
21050
|
I can only make decisions if I see myself as part of a story
[MacIntyre]
|
8001
|
'Dikaiosune' is justice, but also fairness and personal integrity
[MacIntyre]
|
8002
|
Sophists don't distinguish a person outside one social order from someone outside all order
[MacIntyre]
|
8005
|
'Happiness' is a bad translation of 'eudaimonia', which includes both behaving and faring well
[MacIntyre]
|
8006
|
When Aristotle speaks of soul he means something like personality
[MacIntyre]
|
8008
|
The Bible is a story about God in which humans are incidental characters
[MacIntyre]
|
8013
|
In the Reformation, morality became unconditional but irrational, individually autonomous, and secular
[MacIntyre]
|
8012
|
The value/fact logical gulf is misleading, because social facts involve values
[MacIntyre]
|
8022
|
I am naturally free if I am not tied to anyone by a contract
[MacIntyre]
|
8021
|
The Levellers and the Diggers mark a turning point in the history of morality
[MacIntyre]
|
8023
|
My duties depend on my identity, which depends on my social relations
[MacIntyre]
|
8031
|
Fans of natural rights or laws can't agree on what the actual rights or laws are
[MacIntyre]
|
23080
|
Liberals debate how conservative or radical to be, but don't question their basics
[MacIntyre]
|
10356
|
Relativism can be seen as about the rationality of different cultural traditions
[MacIntyre, by Kusch]
|