dr_who@umcp-cs.UUCP (08/22/83)
... may very well be wrong. Charles Perkins proposes relying on feelings as
the direct source of moral decisions (decide on the basis of feelings).
What if we just do what we FEEL is right? This theory is obviously not
axiomatic. What we FEEL is right depends on many factors, and to
detail them would exceed the average length of a submission to
net.philosophy, so I won't. Most people would also agree that many
situations would cause them to be unsure of what is right - in fact
they might do one thing today and another next week, in the same
situation.
And if the decisions keep changing, we may very well regret what we did
before. If we criticize our feelings rationally (at least to the extent
possible), we can help avoid that. Of course, critical examination of our
moral feelings is not painless itself, but... I really think that just
doing what you feel is right is a cop-out -- a cop out of moral thinking.
Also, many moral feelings are the result of indoctrination, and acting out
of them may amount to doing something because you were (more or less) told
to do it. That prospect bothers me (even if I can't avoid it *totally*).
Finally, I really want to do what is right -- whatever that may be -- and I
worry that my feelings may not be justified.
Please, do not suggest that I discount the value of a rational approach
to the world. I just say that our rational deductions must be tempered
by our non-rational experience and what we feel is right.
I won't, but I see no reason to "temper" reason with emotion (which I assume
means that when the two conflict, one sometimes goes with the emotion). One
should try to incorporate as much reason into one's emotions as possible, in
my view. When a rational deduction conflicts with emotion, it must be the
emotion that's wrong -- because how could a rational deduction be wrong?
--Paul Torek, U of MD College Parkmmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) (08/23/83)
==================== When a rational deduction conflicts with emotion, it must be the emotion that's wrong -- because how could a rational deduction be wrong? ==================== Because its premises were wrong. Martin Taylor