The Cage

David Weissman

Description

Hume argued that is does not entail ought; that we cannot infer necessity or obligation from any description of actual states of affairs. His philosophical heirs continue to argue that nothing outside ourselves constrains us. The Cage maintains, contrary to Humean tradition, that reality is a set of nested contexts, each distinguished by intrinsic norms. Author David Weissman offers an innovative exploration of these norms intrinsic to human life, including practical affairs, morals, aesthetics, and culture. In this critical examination of character formation and the conditions for freedom, Weissman suggests that eliminating context (because of regarding it as an impediment to freedom) impoverishes character and reduces freedom. He concludes that positive freedom—the freedom to choose and to act—has no leverage apart from the contexts where character forms and circumstances provide opportunities to express one's thoughts, tastes, or talents.
Introduction

1. Categorial Form

1. Evidence of Categorial Form
2. The Method for Discovering Categorial Form
3. Kantian Objections
4. Some Possible Categorial Forms
5. Antecedent Formulations
6. Practical Applications
7. Which Is the Better Hypothesis?

2. Nature

1. Logic
2. Possible and Actual Worlds
3. The Actual World: Nature

A. Spacetime
B. Causality and Natural Laws
C. Dispositions
D. Systems
E. The Whole

4. Testability
5. Humean Objections
6. Natural Norms

3. Practical Norms

1. How are Systems Formed and Stabilized?
2. Practical Imperatives
3. Ends and Aims
4. Consequential and Instrumental Values versus Intrinsic Values
5. From Is to Must, Should, or Ought

4. Moral Norms

1. Semantic Preliminaries
2. The Context of Morality
3. Ontological Assumptions
4. Signature Values
5. Moral Psychology
6. Thick Moral Concepts: The Cognitive and Emotive Aspects of Moral Norms
7. Duties to Systems, Their Members, and Others
8. Moral Flashpoints
9. From Facts to Norms
10. Opposed Perspectives: Norms Founded in Material Systems or Rational Ideals
11. Norms of Several Kinds
12. Rights
13. Layered Publics
14. Truth and Error
15. Should and Ought from Is
16. Support from Principal Moral Theorists
17. Resolving the Diversity of Moral Theories

5. Aesthetic Norms

1. The Conditions for Aesthetic Value in Created Works
2. Objections
3. Natural Beauty
4. Virtual Form
5. Must, Should, and Ought in the Context of Is

6. Cultural Variation

1. Generic Needs and Their Determinate Expressions
2. Aristotelian and Nietzschean Problems
3. Change

7. Freedom

1. Positive and Negative Freedom
2. Alternative Ontologies
3. Free Will
4. Positive Freedom: Character and Opportunity
5. Pathologies of Freedom
6. Is Freedom a Good in Itself?

Conclusion
Notes
Index

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie politique
• Éthique et morale
• Ethique et morale
• Philosophy

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791481196
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The CAGE Must,Should, andOughtfromIs

D A V I D W E I S S M A N

The C A G E

This page intentionally left blank.

C

The A G

E

Must,Should, andOughtfromIs

D A V I D W E I S S M A N

State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2006 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384

Production by Marilyn P. Semerad Marketing by Susan M. Petrie

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Weissman, David, 1936– The cage : must, should, and ought from is / David Weissman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-6879-1 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-7914-6879-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Normativity (Ethics) I. Title.

BJ1458.3.W45 2006 117—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2005031414

To Kathy, Michael, Sarah, and Eli

This page intentionally left blank.

Introduction

Contents

Chapter One. Categorial Form 1. Evidence of Categorial Form 2. The Method for Discovering Categorial Form 3. Kantian Objections 4. Some Possible Categorial Forms 5. Antecedent Formulations 6. Practical Applications 7. Which Is the Better Hypothesis?

Chapter Two. Nature 1. Logic 2. Possible and Actual Worlds 3. The Actual World: Nature A. Spacetime B. Causality and Natural Laws C. Dispositions D. Systems E. The Whole 4. Testability 5. Humean Objections 6. Natural Norms

vii

1

9 10 11 12 14 19 19 21

25 26 31 34 35 35 41 50 55 55 57 60

viii

T HE C AGE

Chapter Three. Practical Norms 1. How are Systems Formed and Stabilized? 2. Practical Imperatives 3. Ends and Aims 4. Consequential and Instrumental Values versus Intrinsic Values 5. FromIstoMust,Should, orOught

Chapter Four. Moral Norms 1. Semantic Preliminaries 2. The Context of Morality 3. Ontological Assumptions 4. Signature Values 5. Moral Psychology 6. Thick Moral Concepts: The Cognitive and Emotive Aspects of Moral Norms 7. Duties to Systems, Their Members, and Others 8. Moral Flashpoints 9. From Facts to Norms 10. Opposed Perspectives: Norms Founded in Material Systems or Rational Ideals 11. Norms of Several Kinds 12. Rights 13. Layered Publics 14. Truth and Error 15.ShouldandOughtfromIs 16. Support from Principal Moral Theorists 17. Resolving the Diversity of Moral Theories

Chapter Five. Aesthetic Norms 1. The Conditions for Aesthetic Value in Created Works 2. Objections 3. Natural Beauty 4. Virtual Form 5.Must,Should, andOughtin the Context ofIs

61 61 63 67

70 72

73 74 77 80 89 94

99 105 126 139

150 161 165 166 171 174 186 190

201 202 209 213 215 217

Contents

Chapter Six. Cultural Variation 1. Generic Needs and Their Determinate Expressions 2. Aristotelian and Nietzschean Problems 3. Change

Chapter Seven. Freedom 1. Positive and Negative Freedom 2. Alternative Ontologies 3. Free Will 4. Positive Freedom: Character and Opportunity 5. Pathologies of Freedom 6. Is Freedom Good-in-Itself?

Conclusion

Notes

Index

ix

221 221 226 228

231 231 233 236 240 245 263

265

269

287