Morality S Progress

Author : Allen Buchanan,Russell Powell
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2018-06-08
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190868437

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The Evolution of Moral Progress by Allen Buchanan,Russell Powell Pdf

In The Evolution of Moral Progress, Allen Buchanan and Russell Powell resurrect the project of explaining moral progress. They avoid the errors of earlier attempts by drawing on a wide range of disciplines including moral and political philosophy, evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, anthropology, history, and sociology. Their focus is on one especially important type of moral progress: gains in inclusivity. They develop a framework to explain progress in inclusivity to also illuminate moral regression--the return to exclusivist and "tribalistic" moral beliefs and attitudes. Buchanan and Powell argue those tribalistic moral responses are not hard-wired by evolution in human nature. Rather, human beings have an evolved "adaptively plastic" capacity for both inclusion and exclusion, depending on environmental conditions. Moral progress in the dimension of inclusivity is possible, but only to the extent that human beings can create environments conducive to extending moral standing to all human beings and even to some animals. Buchanan and Powell take biological evolution seriously, but with a critical eye, while simultaneously recognizing the crucial role of culture in creating environments in which moral progress can occur. The book avoids both biological and cultural determinism. Unlike earlier theories of moral progress, their theory provides a naturalistic account that is grounded in the best empirical work, and unlike earlier theories it does not present moral progress as inevitable or as occurring in definite stages; but rather it recognizes the highly contingent and fragile character of moral improvement.

Author : Dale Jamieson
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 410 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0199251452

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Morality's Progress by Dale Jamieson Pdf

The summation of nearly three decades of work by a leading figure in environmental ethics and bioethics. The 22 papers are invigoratingly diverse, but together tell a unified story about various aspects of the morality of our relationships to animals and to nature.

Author : Philip Kitcher
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 173 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2021-05-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780197549179

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Moral Progress by Philip Kitcher Pdf

This inaugural volume in the Munich Lectures in Ethics series presents lectures by noted philosopher Philip Kitcher. In these lectures, Kitcher develops further the pragmatist approach to moral philosophy, begun in his book The Ethical Project. He uses three historical examples of moral progress--the abolition of chattel slavery, the expansion of opportunities for women, and the increasing acceptance of same-sex love--to propose methods for moral inquiry. In his recommended methodology, Kitcher sees moral progress, for individuals and for societies, through collective discussions that become more inclusive, better informed, and involve participants more inclined to engage with the perspectives of others and aim at actions tolerable by all. The volume is introduced by Jan-Christoph Heilinger and contains commentaries from distinguished scholars Amia Srinivasan, Susan Neiman, and Rahel Jaeggi, and Kitcher's response to their commentaries.

Author : Thomas Fowler
Publisher : DigiCat
Page : 93 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2022-09-15
Category : Fiction
ISBN : EAN:8596547308737

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Progressive Morality by Thomas Fowler Pdf

Progressive Morality is an extended essay about the topic of ethics. Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior". The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value; these fields comprise the branch of philosophy called axiology. Contents: "CHAPTER I. Introduction. The Sanctions of Conduct. CHAPTER II. The Moral Sanction or Moral Sentiment. Its Functions and the Justification of its claims to Superiority. CHAPTER III. Analysis and Formation of the Moral Sentiment. Its Education and Improvement. CHAPTER IV. The Moral Test and its Justification. CHAPTER V. Examples of the Practical Application of the Moral Test to existing Morality."

Author : Alfred Russel Wallace
Publisher : Library of Alexandria
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2020-09-28
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9781465610720

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Social Environment and Moral Progress by Alfred Russel Wallace Pdf

Though much of what we term morality has no absolute sanction in human nature, yet it is to some extent, and perhaps very largely, based upon it. It will be well, therefore, to consider briefly the nature and probable origin of what we term "character"—in individuals, in societies, and especially in those more ancient and more fundamental divisions of mankind which we term "races." Character may be defined as the aggregate of mental faculties and emotions which constitute personal or national individuality. It is very strongly hereditary, yet it is probably subject to more inherent variation than is the form and structure of the body. The combinations of its constituent elements are so numerous as, in common language, to be termed infinite; and this gives to each person a very distinct individuality, as manifested in speech, in emotional expression, and in action. The mental faculties which go to form the "character" of each man or woman are very numerous, a large proportion of them being such as are required for the preservation of the individual and of the race, while others are pre-eminently social or ethical. These latter, which impel us to truth, to justice, and to benevolence, when in due proportion to all the other mental faculties, go to form what we distinguish as a good or moral character, and will in most cases result in actions which meet with the general approval of that section of society in which we live; and this approval reacts upon the character so that it often appears to be better than it really is. So great is the effect of this approval of our fellows that it sometimes leads to behaviour quite different from what it would be if this approval were absent. This is especially the case when the approval leads to wealth or positions of dignity or advantage. Occasionally, in cases of this kind the individual cannot resist his natural impulses, and then acts so as to show his underlying real character. We term such persons hypocrites for making us believe that they were inherently good, instead of being so in appearance only when the good action was profitable to them. Hence in a highly complex state of civilisation it becomes exceedingly difficult correctly to appraise characters as moral or immoral, good or bad; while there is no such difficulty as regards the intellectual and emotional aspects of character, which are less influenced by the general environment, and which there is less temptation to conceal. All the evidence we possess tends to show that although the actions of most individuals are to a considerable extent determined by their social environment, that does not imply any alteration in their character. Everyone's experience of life, and especially the example of his friends and associates, leads him to repress his passions, regulate his emotions, and in general to use his judgment before acting, so as to secure the esteem of his fellows and greater happiness for himself; and these restraints, becoming habitual, may often give the appearance of an actual change of character till some great temptation or violent passion overcomes the usual restraint and exhibits the real nature, which is usually dormant.

Author : S. Alexander
Publisher : Forgotten Books
Page : 453 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2015-06-25
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 1330376498

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Moral Order and Progress by S. Alexander Pdf

Excerpt from Moral Order and Progress: An Analysis of Ethical Conceptions The following pages are based upon a dissertation for which I obtained the Green Moral Philosophy Prize at Oxford in 1887. The subject proposed was, "In what directions does Moral Philosophy at the present time seem to you to admit or require advance?" I have completely re-written my essay, without reference to the original question, and have greatly augmented it. I am proud to have my work connected, however indirectly, with the name of T. H. Green; and I feel this all the more because, though, as will be obvious, my obligations to him are very great, I have not scrupled to express my present dissent from his fundamental principles. The title of the book indicates its substance: it is an account of the various elements contained in moral order and moral progress; the sub-title (under which the work was originally announced) describes its method, which is that of grouping together ethical facts under the main working conceptions used in morality. In the Introduction I have fully explained the object and plan of the work; and have only to add here a few remarks of a more personal character. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Author : Frauke Albersmeier
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2022-12-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783110798913

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The Concept of Moral Progress by Frauke Albersmeier Pdf

What is moral progress? Are we striving for moral progress when we seek to ‘make the world a better place’? What connects the different ways in which moral agents, their actions, and the world can become morally better? This book proposes an explication of the abstract concept of moral progress and explores its relation to our moral lives. Integrating the perspectives of rival normative theories, it draws a clear distinction between ethical and moral progress and makes the case that moral progress can neither happen merely in theory, nor come about by a fluke. Still, the ideal of moral progress as a deliberate improvement in practices with a positive impact on the world is but one of several types of moral progress, relating in different ways to the theoretical and practical capacities of moral agents. No elevated level of sophistication in these capacities is required for moral progress to be possible, and the abstract idea of moral progress need not be on moral agents’ minds in the pursuit of the morally better. However, a desire for impactful moral progress, far from being a moral fetish, marks a particularly valuable moral outlook.

Author : Samuel Alexander
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 510 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 1896
Category : Ethics
ISBN : UOM:39015002743691

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Moral Order and Progress by Samuel Alexander Pdf

Author : S. Alexander
Publisher : Literary Licensing, LLC
Page : 440 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2014-03
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1498081290

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Moral Order and Progress an Analysis of Ethical Conceptions by S. Alexander Pdf

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1889 Edition.

Author : Allen E. Buchanan,Russell Powell
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 441 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2018
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190868413

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The Evolution of Moral Progress by Allen E. Buchanan,Russell Powell Pdf

Steven Pinker has said that one of the most important questions humans can ask of themselves is whether moral progress has occurred or is likely to occur. Buchanan and Powell here address that question, in order to provide the first naturalistic, empirically-informed and analytically sophisticated theory of moral progress-explaining the capacities in the human brain that allow for it, the role of the environment, and how contingent and fragile moral progress can be.--

Author : Philip Kitcher
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 173 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2024-06-03
Category : Ethics
ISBN : 0197549187

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Moral Progress by Philip Kitcher Pdf

This inaugural volume in the 'Munich Lectures in Ethics' series presents lectures by noted philosopher Philip Kitcher. In these lectures Kitcher develops further the pragmatist approach to moral philosophy, begun in his book 'The Ethical Project'. He uses three historical examples of moral progress - the abolition of chattel slavery, the expansion of opportunities for women, and the increasing acceptance of same-sex love - to propose methods for moral inquiry. In his recommended methodology, Kitcher sees moral progress, for individuals and for societies, through collective discussions that become more inclusive, better informed, and involve participants more inclined to engage with the perspectives of others and aim at actions tolerable by all.

Author : Philip Van Ness Myers
Publisher : Library of Alexandria
Page : 568 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2020-09-28
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781465580146

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History as Past Ethics: An Introduction to the History of Morals by Philip Van Ness Myers Pdf

Professor Freeman defined history as “past politics.” Mr. Buckle argued that the essence of the historical evolution consists in intellectual progress. Many present-day economists hold that the dominant forces in the historical development are economic. Churchmen consistently make the chief factor in history to be religion. Whether the upholders of these several interpretations of history would have us understand them as speaking of the ultimate goal of the historic evolution, or merely of the dominant motive under which men and society act, none of these interpretations can be accepted by the student of the facts of the moral life of the race as a true reading of history. To him not only does moral progress constitute the very essence of the historic movement, but the ethical motive presents itself as the most constant and regulative force in the evolution of humanity. His chief interest in all the other factors of the historical evolution is in noting in what way and in what measure they have contributed to the growth and enrichment of the moral life of mankind. Thus the historian of morals is deeply interested in the growth of political institutions among men, but chiefly in observing in what way these institutions have affected for good or for evil the moral life of the nation. Particularly is the progress of the world toward political unity a matter of profound concern to him, not because he regards the establishment of the world state as an end in itself, but because the universal state alone can furnish those conditions under which the moral life of humanity can most freely expatiate and find its noblest and truest expression. It is the same with intellectual progress. The student of morals recognizes the fact that the progress of the race in morality is normally dependent upon its progress in knowledge—that conscience waits upon the intellect. But in opposition to Buckle and those of his school, he maintains that, so far from an advance in knowledge constituting the essence of a progressive civilization, this mental advance constitutes merely the condition precedent of real civilization, the distinctive characteristic of which must be a true morality. A civilization or culture which does not include this is doomed to quick retrogression and decay. As Benjamin Kidd truly observes, “When the intellectual development of any section of the race, for the time being, outruns the ethical development, natural selection has apparently weeded it out like any other unsuitable product.” As with the political and intellectual elements of civilization so is it with the economic. The outward forms of the moral life are, it is true, largely determined by the industry of a people; but the informing spirit of morality is the expression of an implanted faculty. It is elicited but not created by environment. No industrial order from which it is lacking can long endure. Natural selection condemns it as unfit. And this we are beginning to recognize—that economics and ethics cannot be divorced, that every great industrial problem is at bottom a moral problem. To the student of the ethical phase of history all social reformers from the old Hebrew prophets down to Karl Marx and Henry George are primarily moralists pleading for social justice, equity, and righteousness.

Author : Allen Buchanan,Russell Powell
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2018-06-08
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780190868437

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The Evolution of Moral Progress by Allen Buchanan,Russell Powell Pdf

In The Evolution of Moral Progress, Allen Buchanan and Russell Powell resurrect the project of explaining moral progress. They avoid the errors of earlier attempts by drawing on a wide range of disciplines including moral and political philosophy, evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, anthropology, history, and sociology. Their focus is on one especially important type of moral progress: gains in inclusivity. They develop a framework to explain progress in inclusivity to also illuminate moral regression--the return to exclusivist and "tribalistic" moral beliefs and attitudes. Buchanan and Powell argue those tribalistic moral responses are not hard-wired by evolution in human nature. Rather, human beings have an evolved "adaptively plastic" capacity for both inclusion and exclusion, depending on environmental conditions. Moral progress in the dimension of inclusivity is possible, but only to the extent that human beings can create environments conducive to extending moral standing to all human beings and even to some animals. Buchanan and Powell take biological evolution seriously, but with a critical eye, while simultaneously recognizing the crucial role of culture in creating environments in which moral progress can occur. The book avoids both biological and cultural determinism. Unlike earlier theories of moral progress, their theory provides a naturalistic account that is grounded in the best empirical work, and unlike earlier theories it does not present moral progress as inevitable or as occurring in definite stages; but rather it recognizes the highly contingent and fragile character of moral improvement.

Author : Samuel Alexander
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 413 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 1999-01-01
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9781402181665

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Moral Order and Progress by Samuel Alexander Pdf

This Elibron Classics title is a reprint of the original edition published by Trübner & Co. in London, 1889.

Author : Allen Buchanan
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2020-03-17
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262043748

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Our Moral Fate by Allen Buchanan Pdf

A provocative and probing argument showing how human beings can for the first time in history take charge of their moral fate. Is tribalism—the political and cultural divisions between Us and Them—an inherent part of our basic moral psychology? Many scientists link tribalism and morality, arguing that the evolved “moral mind” is tribalistic. Any escape from tribalism, according to this thinking, would be partial and fragile, because it goes against the grain of our nature. In this book, Allen Buchanan offers a counterargument: the moral mind is highly flexible, capable of both tribalism and deeply inclusive moralities, depending on the social environment in which the moral mind operates. We can't be morally tribalistic by nature, Buchanan explains, because quite recently there has been a remarkable shift away from tribalism and toward inclusiveness, as growing numbers of people acknowledge that all human beings have equal moral status, and that at least some nonhumans also have moral standing. These are what Buchanan terms the Two Great Expansions of moral regard. And yet, he argues, moral progress is not inevitable but depends partly on whether we have the good fortune to develop as moral agents in a society that provides the right conditions for realizing our moral potential. But morality need not depend on luck. We can take charge of our moral fate by deliberately shaping our social environment—by engaging in scientifically informed “moral institutional design.” For the first time in human history, human beings can determine what sort of morality is predominant in their societies and what kinds of moral agents they are.