Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Ethical Studies', 'Nietzsche, Genealogy, History' and 'No Moral Difference'

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4 ideas

18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / a. Nature of emotions

22235	Feelings are not unchanging, but have a history (especially if they are noble) [Foucault]
	Full Idea: We believe that feelings are immutable, but every sentiment, particularly the most noble and disinterested, has a history.
	From: Michel Foucault (Nietzsche, Genealogy, History [1971], p.86), quoted by Johanna Oksala - How to Read Foucault 5
	A reaction: This is the sort of remark that makes me think Foucault is worth reading. Aristotle thought you could teach correct feelings. That implies that you can also teach incorrect feelings.

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / d. Routes to happiness

5655	Happiness is not satisfaction of desires, but fulfilment of values [Bradley, by Scruton]
	Full Idea: For Bradley, the happiness of the individual is not to be understood in terms of his desires and needs, but rather in terms of his values - which is to say, in terms of those of his desires which he incorporates into his self.
	From: report of F.H. Bradley (Ethical Studies [1876]) by Roger Scruton - Short History of Modern Philosophy Ch.16
	A reaction: Good. Bentham will reduce the values to a further set of desires, so that a value is a complex (second-level?) desire. I prefer to think of values as judgements, but I like Scruton's phrase of 'incorporating into his self'. Kant take note (Idea 1452).

25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 2. Euthanasia

4052	It has become normal to consider passive euthanasia while condemning active euthanasia [Rachels]
	Full Idea: It seems to have become accepted that passive euthanasia (by withholding treatment and allowing a patient to die) may be acceptable, whereas active euthanasia (direct action to kill the patient) is never acceptable.
	From: James Rachels (No Moral Difference [1975], p.97)
	A reaction: He goes on to attack the distinction. It is hard to distinguish the two cases, as well as being hard to judge them.

4053	If it is desirable that a given patient die, then moral objections to killing them do not apply [Rachels]
	Full Idea: The cause of death (injection or disease) is important from the legal point of view, but not morally. If euthanasia is desirable in a given case then the patient's death is not an evil, so the usual objections to killing do not apply.
	From: James Rachels (No Moral Difference [1975], p.102)
	A reaction: Seems reasonable, but a very consequentialist view. Is it good that small children should clean public toilets?