Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Human Freedom and the Self' and 'Ontology and Mathematical Truth'

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3 ideas

20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 4. Responsibility for Actions
Desires may rule us, but are we responsible for our desires? [Chisholm]
     Full Idea: If a flood of desires causes a weak-willed man to give in to temptation, …the question now becomes, is he responsible for the beliefs and desires he happens to have?
     From: Roderick Chisholm (Human Freedom and the Self [1964], p.25)
Responsibility seems to conflict with events being either caused or not caused [Chisholm]
     Full Idea: The free will problem is that humans seem to be responsible, but this seems to conflict with the idea that every event is caused by some other event, and it also conflicts with the view that the action is not caused at all.
     From: Roderick Chisholm (Human Freedom and the Self [1964], p.24)
20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 5. Action Dilemmas / c. Omissions
The highest degree of morality performs all that is appropriate, omitting nothing [Chrysippus]
     Full Idea: He who makes moral progress to the highest degree performs all the appropriate actions in all circumstances, and omits none.
     From: Chrysippus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]), quoted by Sophocles - Sophocles' Electra 4.39.22
     A reaction: Hence concerns about omission as well as commission in the practice of ethics can be seen in the light of character and virtue. The world is fully of nice people who act well, but don't do so well on omissions. Car drivers, for example.