“As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” Continue reading H. L. Mencken: On Politics (Bayard vs. Lionheart)
“Be as a page that aches for a word which speaks on a theme that is timeless …”
(words and music by Neil Diamond)
This blog focuses primarily on whether life and death have meaning—the fundamental concern of my lifelong intellectual search. Continue reading “Be as a page that aches for a … a theme that is timeless …”
Charles Stevenson
Emotivism: An Extreme Form of Personal Relativism
The English philosopher A.J. Ayer (1910 – 1989) and the American philosopher Charles Stevenson (1908 – 1979) developed a different version of subjectivism. Emotivism is a theory that claims that moral language or judgments Continue reading Emotivism
What is Personal Ethical Relativism?
If morality is not relative to culture, as we discussed in yesterday’s post, might it be relative to a person’s beliefs, attitudes, emotions, opinions, desires, wants, etc.? Personal relativism is a theory that holds that moral judgments are relative to, conditioned by, or dependent upon, individuals. This theory has ancient roots, but it’s also popular today.2 These remarks capture the basic idea: Continue reading Personal Moral Relativism
Philosophical Ethics
Ethics is that part of philosophy which deals with the good and bad, or right and wrong in human conduct. It asks questions like: What is morality? Is morality objective or subjective? What is the relationship between self-interest and morality? Why should I be moral? Continue reading Summary of Cultural Relativism