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Single Idea 1457

[filed under theme 16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 2. Ethical Self ]

Full Idea

A bare minimum of metaphysical belief about the self is found to be absolutely presupposed in the very idea of morality.

Gist of Idea

Morality requires a minimum commitment to the self

Source

Hastings Rashdall (Theory of Good and Evil [1907], II.III.I.4)

Book Ref

'The Existence of God', ed/tr. Hick,John [Macmillan 1964], p.146


A Reaction

This may not be true of virtue theory, where we could have a whole creature which lacked any sense of personhood, but yet had clear virtues and vices in its social functioning. Even if choices are central to morality, that might not need a self.