Moral Pragmatism

Philosophy 44 (167):1 - 11 (1969)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

I want to explore the possibility of an a posteriori approach to the elucidation of certain moral notions. These are: (a) the notion of a duty, some specific thing which it is incumbent on me to do, and (b) the notion of something that is a good thing for me to do. I want to consider these notions, so far as I can, independently of rules. There is a certain sense in which having a duty to do this or that is a function of circumstances, and in which this or that's being a good thing to do is likewise a function of circumstances. I shall suggest specific examples in which this is a conspicuous feature of ‘my duty’ or of what I can, beneficially, do. In these examples what I ought to do, and what it is good to do, can be represented as special ways in which what I am to do presents itself.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,593

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

The Relation of Moral Worth to the Good Will in Kant’s Ethics.Walter E. Schaller - 1992 - Journal of Philosophical Research 17:351-382.
Morality and God.Richard Swinburne - 2003 - Revue Internationale de Philosophie 57 (225):315 - 328.
Contextualism for consequentialists.Alastair Norcross - 2005 - Acta Analytica 20 (2):80-90.
Moral goodness, esteem, and acting from duty.Noah M. Lemos - 1991 - Journal of Value Inquiry 25 (2):103-117.
A defense of acting from duty.Diane Jeske - 1998 - Journal of Value Inquiry 32 (1):61–74.
The essence of ethics.Frederick R. Bauer - 2004 - Worcester, Mass.: Ambassador Books.
The alleged moral repugnance of acting from duty.Marcia Baron - 1984 - Journal of Philosophy 81 (4):197-220.
The virtue of cold-heartedness.C. D. Meyers - 2008 - Philosophical Studies 138 (2):233 - 244.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-08-10

Downloads
31 (#445,254)

6 months
1 (#1,040,386)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references