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The independence of practical ethics.
1Department of Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. ajlondon@andrew.cmu.edu
Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics
|July 5, 2001
Summary
This study proposes a new model for practical ethics, drawing from Aristotle. It emphasizes accessible reasoning for cooperation under real-world constraints, uniting practical and philosophical ethics through shared intellectual capacities.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy
- Ethics
- Moral Theory
Background:
- Critiques common views on practical ethics and ethical theory.
- Highlights limitations of purely theoretical approaches in practical ethics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Propose an alternative model for practical ethics based on Aristotelian principles.
- Define practical ethics as securing cooperation through accessible reasoning.
- Establish the independence of practical ethics within non-ideal circumstances.
Main Methods:
- Analyzes the relationship between rhetoric and philosophical ethics (Aristotle).
- Develops a novel conception of practical ethics.
- Examines constraints of non-ideal circumstances on moral theory.
Main Results:
- Presents a model where practical ethics is neither denigrated nor subordinate to ethical theory.
- Practical ethics aims to influence judgments via accessible reasons, respecting individual autonomy.
- Independence of practical ethics stems from understanding limitations in public deliberation.
Conclusions:
- Practical and philosophical ethics share intellectual and affective capacities, not just theoretical frameworks.
- Distinction lies in responsiveness to facilitating sound normative deliberations in non-ideal settings.
- Advocates for an ethics that is practically applicable and sensitive to real-world conditions.