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Full Idea
Between Aristotle and us came Christianity, with its law conception of ethics, and Christianity derived its ethical notions from the Torah.
Gist of Idea
Between Aristotle and us, a Judaeo-Christian legal conception of ethics was developed
Source
G.E.M. Anscombe (Modern Moral Philosophy [1958], p.179)
Book Ref
'The Is/Ought Question', ed/tr. Hudson,W.H. [Macmillan 1969], p.179
A Reaction
While I am a fan of the primacy of the virtues in ethical thinking, I am doubtful about the complete elimination of laws (e.g. by Particularists). The law teaches us the virtues, and reminds us of them (like speed-limit signs).
8351 | With diseases we easily trace a cause from an effect, but we cannot predict effects [Anscombe] |
8350 | Since Mill causation has usually been explained by necessary and sufficient conditions [Anscombe] |
8353 | Freedom involves acting according to an idea [Anscombe] |
8352 | To believe in determinism, one must believe in a system which determines events [Anscombe] |
10363 | Causation is relative to how we describe the primary relata [Anscombe, by Schaffer,J] |
4777 | The word 'cause' is an abstraction from a group of causal terms in a language (scrape, push..) [Anscombe] |
20041 | Intentional actions are those which are explained by giving the reason for so acting [Anscombe] |
7439 | The qualities involved in sensations are entirely intentional [Anscombe, by Armstrong] |
8065 | 'Ought' and 'right' are survivals from earlier ethics, and should be jettisoned [Anscombe] |
8069 | Between Aristotle and us, a Judaeo-Christian legal conception of ethics was developed [Anscombe] |
8070 | It would be better to point to failings of character, than to moral wrongness of actions [Anscombe] |