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Sun 4 May, 2014 11:32 am
Context:
Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments is apt to confuse, perhaps startle, the modern reader who approaches it with expectations formed by recent moral philosophy. Though profoundly different in many respects, the moral philosophies which have dominated the debate for the last fifty years, utilitarianism and Kantianism, have a common concern with an ultimate criterion for right action. Even the doctrine which in recent years has mounted the most serious challenge to these two, so-called virtue ethics, is devoted to establishing criteria for what constitutes the morally good character.
@void123,
Thanks.
Both are virtue ethics?
Plus, does Kantianism mean idealism?
@oristarA,
i think kant call his philosophy transcendental idealism
@oristarA,
both are moral philosophes
@oristarA,
Neither is "virtue ethics".
Kant did not advocate
traditional idealism (as contrasted with materialism) which assumes that
all reality consists of mental phenomena. Kant assumes an external reality or "noumena" to which we have no direct access. We only have access to "phenomena" or mental events with no explanation of how they are linked to noumena.
@oristarA,
The nature of ethics and idealism is a matter of
semantics (meaning) not
syntax (grammar). The separation of "virtue ethics" from the other two is conveyed by the phrase "....the most serious challenge to these two..."
@fresco,
fresco wrote:
The nature of ethics and idealism is a matter of semantics (meaning) not syntax (grammar). The separation of "virtue ethics" from the other two is conveyed by the phrase "....the most serious challenge to these two..."
Well thanks.
I am still now sure what does "these two" refer to in that context.
@oristarA,
"These two" refers to "utilitarianism and Kantianism".
"Challenge" refers to the introduction of
the third item "virtue ethics".
@fresco,
fresco wrote:
"These two" refers to "utilitarianism and Kantianism".
"Challenge" refers to the introduction of the third item "virtue ethics".
Thanks.
"so-called virtue ethics" should be referred to "the doctrine" in the context?