Jag har tidigare puffat för filosofiprofessor herman Bergsons nya föreläsningsserie om etik här i bloggen. Igår handlade det om subjektivism med utgångspunkt från ett citat av Hume vars tankar fortfarande utövar stort inflytande på moderna subjektivister.
"Since morals have an influence on the actions and affections, it follows, that they cannot be derived from reason; and that because reason alone can never have any such influence.
Morals excite passions, and produce or prevent actions. Reason of itself is utterly impotent in this particular. The rules of morality, therefore, are not conclusions of reason.
Reason is the discovery of truth or falsehood. Truth or falsehood consists in an agreement or disagreement either to the real relationship of ideas, or to real existence and matter of fact.
Whatever, therefore, is not susceptible of this agreement or disagreement, is incapable of being true or false, and can never be an object of our reason.
herman Bergson: Now ‘tis evident our passions, volitions, and actions, are not susceptible of any such agreement or disagreement. ‘Tis impossible, therefore, they can be pronounced either true or false, and be either contrary or conformable to reason.
Thus the course of the argument leads us to conclude that, since virtue and vice are not discoverable by reason, it must be by means of some sentiment that we are able to mark the difference between them. Morality, therefore, is more properly felt than judged of."
Därpå överraskade professorn med att i sin 201:a föreläsning rakt och ärligt lägga fram sin egen (subjektiva) ståndpunkt som underlag för seminariediskusionen (som i sin helhet läggs ut på bloggen The Philosophy Class som ni hittar i högerspalten i länkarna till bloggar med speciell inriktning).
herman Bergson: After only this few lectures on modern theories of ethics I cant ignore the feeling that I explicitly have to take a position in this discourse. Talking about these subjects is completely different from what I have done sofar.
herman Bergson: Besides that it is important to have a philosophical program of your own. Those who have attended my lectures for some time, may have some idea what my personal program is, but with respect to this subject, ethics, I want to be explicit about it.
herman Bergson: Although philosophers always are put in some ISM (empiricism, rationalism, existentialism) does this not mean that they had clear-cut theories about every philosophical question according to their "ism". It is us who love to organize philosophical thinking in 'isms"
herman Bergson: To define you personal philosophical program, your way of philosophical dealing with for instance moral judgements, you may discover that you feel more attracted to certain arguments and more in disagreement with other arguments, even tho you may not yet have a good explanation for your preferences.
herman Bergson: I hold the meta-ethical view that ethical sentences express propositions and can therefore be true or false and that that ethical sentences express propositions about mind-independent facts of the world. Thence you may classify me as someone who believes that moral realism holds the best cards.
herman Bergson: This is closely associated with my ontological standpoint that we are just matter and that we have to look for (philosophical) answers at evolution theory, biology, ethology, psychology and neurophysiology for instance.
herman Bergson: This doesn't mean that I only need to read the few articles on moral realism and materialism and I'll have all my philosophical answers. This would turn philosophy into some kind of religion.
herman Bergson: The contrary is actually the case: the more lectures I give the more desperate I become. There are so many arguments for and against ideas. However, what saves me from insanity, is my personal philosophical program.
herman Bergson: In fact it is a rather pragmatic solution. In your personal history you discover, that you are inclined to prefer certain (philosophical) ideas above others. Don't waste time on questioning where that inclination has come from.
herman Bergson: A personal philosophical program means not only that you study as much as possible what supports your ideas (that is only to make you feel good:-)
herman Bergson: but especially, that you - in an almost Popperian mode - focus on what is brought AGAINST your ideas and are willing to enter the philosophical debate.
herman Bergson: And in a way you may discover, that we may never find the definite truth, but that a good argumentation can make some philosophical standpoint untenable, which observation brings you closer to your personal views.
herman Bergson: So, from this perspective I will present you my lectures on Modern Theories of Ethics.
herman Bergson: Thank you ^_^
Apmel Ibbetson: wow..
Efter den inledningen blev det en sån där absurt ovanlig kväll när farbrorIB höll med om nästan allt...
herman Bergson: ethics in the weaponindustry..
herman Bergson: sounds almost contradictory
Repose Lionheart: ambiguous
Kurk Mumfuzz: but there is an ethical system there... we may not see or understand it... but it exists...
herman Bergson: There definitely will exist some rationalizzation
Apmel Ibbetson: maybe that is what ethics is all about?
herman Bergson: yes Apmel......a kind of rationalization of our animalistic drives
Apmel Ibbetson: hmm..we seem to agree a lot today herman :)
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