Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Through the Looking Glass', 'Existentialism and Humanism' and 'works'

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4 ideas

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
There is no human nature [Sartre]
     Full Idea: There is no human nature.
     From: Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism and Humanism [1945], p.28)
     A reaction: Everything which can be individuated has a nature, say I, wearing my Aristotelian lapel badge. Does he think the same of cats? Does he think the mind is a blank page?
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 1. Nature of Value / a. Nature of value
There are no values to justify us, and no excuses [Sartre]
     Full Idea: There are no values or commands to turn to which legitimize our conduct. …We are alone with no excuses.
     From: Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism and Humanism [1945], p.296), quoted by Kevin Aho - Existentialism: an introduction 6 'Bad'
     A reaction: If there are no values or duties, why might you ever need excuses?
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 1. Nature of Value / d. Subjective value
If values depend on us, freedom is the foundation of all values [Sartre]
     Full Idea: Once a man has seen that values depend upon himself, he can only will one thing, and that is freedom as the foundation of all values.
     From: Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism and Humanism [1945], p.51)
     A reaction: I don't think so. Is freedom the foundation of all arithmetic, because I am untrammelled when doing addition? Values are ridiculous if they don't reflect facts.
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / a. Form of the Good
The good is implicitly violent (against evil), so there is no pure good [Derrida]
     Full Idea: Even the good is implicitly violent (against evil), so there can be no 'pure' good.
     From: Jacques Derrida (works [1990]), quoted by Barry Stocker - Derrida on Deconstruction
     A reaction: Is good implicitly non-violent? Appropriate anger seems to be good behaviour, and I can't see why it is impure. Maybe anger and violence lack the control needed for pure goodness.