In light of yesterdays thread, it is time to admit where I've come to over the years, morally speaking. I know, I know, I still owe Tony and Ron responses.
But, here's where I'm at: a weird version of contractualism, where what you are morally obligated (and sometimes praised) for doing is what you have said you will do.
Here's what that looks like, more or less in order of importance:
(1) Practice self-care
(2) Practice love for those who depend on you.
(3) Honor Your Commitments
If you look real closely, each of these is really a special case of the last one.
To break those out a bit:
1. The first thing I need to do is to take care of myself. If I'm having a panic attack or a knee surgery, the other concerns fall away. As a corollary, keeping myself healthy is then morally praiseworthy. This absolutely includes self-improvement, and Maslow. That is, the first priority is to be the sort of person you wish to be.
This is number one for a lot of reasons, but largely as without it you cannot develop your own virtues.
2. My next concern is those who depend on me. Why? Because they have come to expect action from me, and I have let them build up that expectation. There are all sorts of implicit expectations in this category, which do not need to be made explicit to demand action.
3. I should do what I say I'll do. If I say I'll be at a job or a game or that I'll finish a project by a certain time? Then it is a moral duty to do so, as the expectations of other people is that I will do so. As an aside, by hanging out in the USA, I implicitly say I will not violate the law.
To be clear: I hold that I do not have an objective moral requirement to help those who do not depend on me, and who I have not said I'll help.
I do, though, think that it goes to (1): Self-Care. Because I want to be the sort of person who helps others.
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Is this a code you use to govern just your decisions? How (if at all) do you apply it to the behavior of others?
ReplyDeleteI think you might be over thinking it. It all sounds fair and reasonable but does it not basically come down to, "Don't be a dick."
ReplyDeletePersonally I try to live by the rule, "Treat others as you would like them to treat you." It's a fairly dynamic rule which means different things in different situations and with different people but it always works one way or the other.
Tony Lower-Basch Yeah, I apply this to myself. I am a sufficiently judgmental person as to think this applies to others; if someone consistently doesn't honor their commitment, then I tend to think they are, well, a shitty person.
ReplyDeleteWith the obvious caveat of self-care and those who depend on you.
Brian Ashford I disagree, rather strongly. The point of ethics isn't to come up with snappy rules, but to involve yourself in the process of thinking ethically. To make it a habit. Such that when you need to make actually hard ethical decisions, you will do so by habit. Simply saying don't be a dick doesn't do that, primarily as we are completely shitty at knowing what dickish behavior is when Adrenalin is going.
ReplyDeleteAs for treating others as you want them to treat you: If you are going to use a rule like that, consider the platinum rule instead. That is: treat others as they wish to be treated.
Also, I have a headahe and feel bad. This may not have my usual eloquence, patience, and charity.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Nichols I suspect you are probably right to strongly disagree. It's maybe a good starting point at least.
ReplyDeleteHow does "Treat others as they wish to be treated" interact with people who are selfish arseholes?
Well I would prefer that when I'm being a selfish jerk, people tell me so and chide me for it, work against my selfishness and levy harsh consequences.
ReplyDeleteSo in that instance the Golden Rule works fine for me.
And, really, and in apropos to our conversation last night, Tony Lower-Basch , I'm pro thinking things through when we can, such that when life is fast and we cannot, then we already have a possible answer.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we do get well if we stop at aphormisms and refuse to think about what they mean.