Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Lectures on the History of Philosophy', 'The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism' and 'Prescriptivism'

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4 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 3. Philosophy Defined

21757	Philosophy is the conceptual essence of the shape of history [Hegel]
	Full Idea: Philosophy is the supreme blossom - the concept - of the entire shape of history, the consciousness and the spiritual essence of the whole situation, the spirit of the age as the spirit present and aware of itself in thought.
	From: Georg W.F.Hegel (Lectures on the History of Philosophy [1830], p.25), quoted by Stephen Houlgate - An Introduction to Hegel 01
	A reaction: This sees philosophy as intrinsically historical, which is a founding idea for 'continental' philosophy. Analysis is tied to science, in which the history of the subject is seen as irrelevant to its truth. Does this mean we can't go back to Aristotle?

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / i. Prescriptivism

2854	Prescriptivism says 'ought' without commitment to act is insincere, or weakly used [Hooker,B]
	Full Idea: Prescriptivism holds that if you think one 'ought' to do a certain kind of act, and yet you are not committed to doing that act in the relevant circumstances, then you either spoke insincerely, or are using the word 'ought' in a weak sense.
	From: Brad W. Hooker (Prescriptivism [1995], p.640)
	A reaction: So that's an 'ought', but not a 'genuine ought', then? (No True Scotsman move). Someone ought to rescue that drowning child, but I can't be bothered.

23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 2. Golden Rule

2856	Universal moral judgements imply the Golden Rule ('do as you would be done by') [Hooker,B]
	Full Idea: Prescriptivity is especially important if moral judgements are universalizable, for then we can employ golden rule-style reasoning ('do as you would be done by').
	From: Brad W. Hooker (Prescriptivism [1995], p.640)

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 11. Capitalism

22254	Economic capitalist liberty naturally leads to democratic political liberty [Novak]
	Full Idea: The natural logic of capitalism leads to democracy. For economic liberties without political liberties are inherently unstable.
	From: Michael Novak (The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism [1982], p.15), quoted by David Conway - Capitalism and Community II
	A reaction: Not sure about 'inherently unstable'. Only in the sense that if you dish out economic liberties, people come to expect political liberties. China and Hong Kong are each currently facing this problem. Capitalist liberty can be highly restricted.