Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Protagoras', 'The View from Nowhere' and 'Believing the Axioms I'

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9 ideas

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / d. Teaching virtue

188	Socrates did not believe that virtue could be taught [Plato]
	Full Idea: Socrates: I do not believe that virtue can be taught.
	From: Plato (Protagoras [c.380 BCE], 320b)

204	Socrates is contradicting himself in claiming virtue can't be taught, but that it is knowledge [Plato]
	Full Idea: Socrates is contradicting himself by saying virtue is not teachable, and yet trying to demonstrate that every virtue is knowledge.
	From: Plato (Protagoras [c.380 BCE], 361b)

189	If we punish wrong-doers, it shows that we believe virtue can be taught [Plato]
	Full Idea: Athenians inflict punishment on wrong-doers, which shows that they too think it possible to impart and teach goodness.
	From: Plato (Protagoras [c.380 BCE], 324c)

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 1. Deontology

3261	Something may be 'rational' either because it is required or because it is acceptable [Nagel]
	Full Idea: "Rational" may mean rationally required or rationally acceptable
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], X.4)

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 2. Duty

3258	If cockroaches can't think about their actions, they have no duties [Nagel]
	Full Idea: If cockroaches cannot think about what they should do, there is nothing they should do.
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], VIII.3)

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 3. Universalisability

3254	If we can decide how to live after stepping outside of ourselves, we have the basis of a moral theory [Nagel]
	Full Idea: If we can make judgements about how we should live even after stepping outside of ourselves, they will provide the material for moral theory.
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], VIII.1)

3264	We should see others' viewpoints, but not lose touch with our own values [Nagel]
	Full Idea: One should occupy a position far enough outside your own life to reduce the importance of the difference between yourself and other people, yet not so far outside that all human values vanish in a nihilistic blackout (i.e.aim for a form of humility).
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], XI.2)

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 6. Motivation for Duty

3255	We find new motives by discovering reasons for action different from our preexisting motives [Nagel]
	Full Idea: There are reasons for action, and we must discover them instead of deriving them from our preexisting motives - and in that way we can acquire new motives superior to the old.
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], VIII.1)

23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 3. Motivation for Altruism

3262	Utilitarianism is too demanding [Nagel]
	Full Idea: Utilitarianism is too demanding.
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], X.5)