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Ideas for 'Introductions to Utilitarianism and its Critics', 'Mathematics and the Metaphysicians' and 'The German Ideology'

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4 ideas

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
5281 Consciousness is a social product [Marx/Engels]
     Full Idea: Consciousness is from the very beginning a social product.
     From: K Marx / F Engels (The German Ideology [1846], §1.A)
     A reaction: This slogan has produced the sociological view of truth which has stood opposed to philosophy for the last 150 years. It would be silly to deny that there is a good point here, but equally silly to think that all consciousness is explicable in this way.
5276 The nature of an individual coincides with what they produce and how they produce it [Marx/Engels]
     Full Idea: As individuals express their life, so they are; what they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce.
     From: K Marx / F Engels (The German Ideology [1846], §1.A)
     A reaction: This appears to be contradicted by their subsequent idea that 'alienation' from the means of production is possible. Presumably intellectuals (in all ages) are to some extent exempt from this rule. It is, in fact, not true.
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism
3785 You can't separate acts from the people performing them [Glover]
     Full Idea: A mistake of consequentialists is to treat actions as though they can somehow be isolated from the people performing them.
     From: Jonathan Glover (Introductions to Utilitarianism and its Critics [1990], Pt Five)
     A reaction: I agree. The weather produces consequences. Morality is about people. Crocodiles, for example, are exempt.
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / h. Good as benefit
3786 Aggression in defence may be beneficial but morally corrupting [Glover]
     Full Idea: Forming the intention to use nuclear retaliation if attacked may both be the best way to avoid the catastrophe of nuclear war and at the same time be morally corrupting.
     From: Jonathan Glover (Introductions to Utilitarianism and its Critics [1990], Pt Five)
     A reaction: A famous moment in 2017 when Jeremy Corbyn refused to say he would be willing to use the weapons, if elected. It would be hard to sustain a determination to do it, and then reject it at the crucial moment.