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Single Idea 4132

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature ]

Full Idea

The category of person is a poor foundation for ethical thought, because it looks like a sortal or classificatory notion while in fact it signals characteristics that almost all come in degrees (responsibility, self-reflection etc).

Clarification

A 'sortal' is something with a separate identity, which can be counted

Gist of Idea

The category of person is a weak basis for ethics, because it is not fixed but comes in degrees

Source

Bernard Williams (Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy [1985], Ch. 6)

Book Ref

Williams,Bernard: 'Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy' [Fontana 1985], p.114

A Reaction

On the contrary, it must be the basis of moral theory, and its shifting character is strong support for Aristotle's approach to moral growth and responsibility.

The 25 ideas from 'Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy'

4114 Philosophers try to produce ethical theories because they falsely assume that ethics can be simple [Williams,B]
4112 A crucial feature of moral thought is second-order desire - the desire to have certain desires [Williams,B]
4113 'Deon' in Greek means what one must do; there was no word meaning 'duty' [Williams,B]
4110 Obligation and duty look backwards (because of a promise or job), although the acts are in the future [Williams,B]
4116 A weakness of contractual theories is the position of a person of superior ability and power [Williams,B]
4122 If the self becomes completely impartial, it no longer has enough identity to worry about its interests [Williams,B]
4120 It is an error of consequentialism to think we just aim at certain states of affairs; we also want to act [Williams,B]
4121 Why should I think of myself as both the legislator and the citizen who follows the laws? [Williams,B]
4124 Utilitarian benevolence involves no particular attachments, and is immune to the inverse square law [Williams,B]
4131 Most women see an early miscarriage and a late stillbirth as being very different in character [Williams,B]
4133 Speciesism isn't like racism, because the former implies a viewpoint which belongs to no one [Williams,B]
4128 Intuitionism has been demolished by critics, and no longer looks interesting [Williams,B]
4132 The category of person is a weak basis for ethics, because it is not fixed but comes in degrees [Williams,B]
4134 The weakness of prescriptivism is shown by "I simply don't like staying at good hotels" [Williams,B]
4135 Some ethical ideas, such as 'treachery' and 'promise', seem to express a union of facts and values [Williams,B]
4243 Our ability to react to an alien culture shows that ethical thought extends beyond cultural boundaries [Williams,B]
4244 It is very confused to deduce a nonrelativist morality of universal toleration from relativism [Williams,B]
4247 It is a mark of our having ethical values that we aim to reproduce them in our children [Williams,B]
4245 Ethical conviction must be to some extent passive, and can't just depend on the will and decisions [Williams,B]
4246 Taking responsibility won't cure ethical uncertainty by; we are uncertain what to decide [Williams,B]
4252 Promise keeping increases reliability, by making deliberation focus on something which would be overlooked [Williams,B]
4248 Not all moral deliberations lead to obligations; some merely reveal what 'may' be done [Williams,B]
4250 The concept of a 'duty to myself' is fraudulent [Williams,B]
4249 "Ought implies can" is a famous formula in connection with moral obligation [Williams,B]
22355 In the realist view, the real external world explains how it (and perceptions of it) are possible [Williams,B]