more from Richard M. Hare

Single Idea 2707

[catalogued under 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 Reference

'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.