I wrote some time ago about this Texas child custody case involving the Mormon sexual abuse allegations. Now, the case has been thrown out because the state acted too hastily in condemning all the parents because of the possible misdeeds of a few. Perhaps there was warrant for an investigation into the Mormon cult concerning... Continue Reading →
L.A. Church Shooting
I am not sure if this report hit the mainstream media airwaves, but I am positive it would have been considered a much bigger story if a mosque had been involved. As it is, a gunman attacked a church festival, opening fire on the crowd, injuring three, including his own wife (on purpose). One of the innocent... Continue Reading →
More Than a Feeling
Against Kant and all rationalist accounts of morality, sentimentalism insists that humans are ruled by their passions. Specifically, Simon Blackburn, in an article titled “Must We Weep for Sentimentalism,” argues against rationality on the grounds that there are no rational moral imperatives under which all humans are obligated to action, and, even if one were... Continue Reading →
Kant Still Can
Samuel Kerstein, in an article titled “Reason, Sentiment, and Categorical Imperatives,” argues that Kant’s categorical imperative can still provide the grounding we need for ethics. As a reminder, the categorical imperative is a reasonable principle that is both absolutely necessary and universally applicable. Thus, all rational agents are morally obligated to do their duty, that... Continue Reading →
Test Your Ethics
Since 1954, the IRS has had a strict code in place concerning preachers and preaching. To maintain a tax exempt status, preachers must abide by rules related to politics. Some (rightly) want the IRS to change. They believe these sanctions are a violation of free speech. The IRS ain’t about to change. But the Alliance... Continue Reading →
Brief Action Summary
Already, we have covered a big chunk of ethical ground. It will be helpful to summarize briefly... We learned that if we seek to determine our ethics on the basis of consequences we drown in a sea of necessity. We must always maximize the good in every little decision. Because the good is hard... Continue Reading →
No Virtue in Virtue
Julia Driver does not think virtue ethics is plausible as a primary means of establishing ethical norms. Specifically, she contends that virtue ethics is no more advantageous than consequentialist ethics. The reason she makes this assertion is that she views virtue ethics—particularly the variety proffered by Hursthouse—as borrowing from consequentialism. Virtue ethics seeks to... Continue Reading →
Emergency Prayer for Myanmar
As cynics scoff and agnostics yawn, Christians, once again, are getting to work both praying for and providing relief to Myanmar. I have linked a story here about the tragedy in Myanmar and about the work that one Christian organization is doing to provide relief for the tens of thousands who have lost everything. This... Continue Reading →
Give Virtue a Try
Rosalind Hursthouse argues for a different type of normative ethics: Virtue. There are many today arguing for an ethics of virtue in the tradition of Aristotle. In the Christian world of ethics, the most prominent voices for virtue are people like Stan Hauerwas and Gilbert Meilander. More popularly, you might notice a public school approach to... Continue Reading →
Contract Shaky Ground
Philip Pettit, although he considers himself somewhat partial to contract theory, argues, in the end, that contract theory is unable to provide a complete grounding for morality. According to Pettit, contract theory either has to give way ultimately to consequentialism, in that the deliberative parties concerned in the formation of the moral paradigm must have... Continue Reading →
Derby Day
Today is derby day in Kentucky. It always sparks a few conversations among Christians to consider whether or not Derby watching is an acceptable practice for the faithful. On the negative side, the races are, of course, owned and operated by organized gambling. The entire industry is tainted with gambling. Also, the actual event is,... Continue Reading →
Moral Contract
Related to utilitarianism (greatest good for greatest number) and consequentialism (choose the best consequence) is the notion of moral contractarianism. You have most likely heard it referred to as “social contract.” The notion is simple enough; moral norms and constraints on conduct ought to be freely acceptable to people and designed for their mutual benefit. ... Continue Reading →
No Demand Morality
We have heard from Peter Vallentyne that consequentialism without rules has problems. One problem of particular note is the problem of “maximizing” demands. If consequentialism is true, then we must always and forever act in such a way that the greater good is served, but this moral demand is too restrictive, confining, and demanding. It... Continue Reading →
Back to Consequences
Ok, we took a detour to the movies. Now, back to ethics. We have looked at Shaw's plea for choosing the action that brings about the best consequences. Today, we will hear from Peter Vallentyne on why Consequentialism cannot stand alone. Peter Vallentyne takes issue with the kind of consequentialism proposed by William Shaw. Vallentyne... Continue Reading →
I Am Legend
Ok, I need to take a break today from outlines of ethics and offer a brief critique of the movie I Am Legend. I wasn't sure of what to make of this movie from the previews, but I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised at how the movie turned out. There was no... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 