more on this theme     |     more from this thinker     |     more from this text


Single Idea 2707

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / i. Prescriptivism ]

Full Idea

Prescriptivists claim that there are rules of reasoning which govern non-descriptive as well as descriptive speech acts. The standard example is possible logical inconsistency between contradictory prescriptions.

Gist of Idea

If there can be contradictory prescriptions, then reasoning must be involved

Source

Richard M. Hare (Universal Prescriptivism [1991], p.455)

Book Ref

'A Companion to Ethics', ed/tr. Singer,Peter [Blackwell 1993], p.455


A Reaction

The example doesn't seem very good. Inconsistency can appear in any area of thought, but that isn't enough to infer full 'rules of reasoning'. I could desire two incompatible crazy things.