So you should give money to charity because it is objectively true that giving money to charity is good, and not because you want to further the goals of the charity?
Could be either, or both. I give money to charities whose goals I want to promote, precisely because I believe those goals to be objectively good.
It is true that Paris is the capital of France. I should believe that, because it is true,
Yes.
but why 'should' I go to Paris, just because I should believe that Paris is the capital of France?
I don't follow. When did I suggest this?
No, the should of 'You should behave morally' is because you want to obtain certain goals, and moral behaviour is the behaviour which reaches those goals.
Are there certain goals which are themselves objectively good? I say yes, and that it is precisely this which is presupposed in most moral discourse.
I'm confused about your use of "you" in the last comment, as well. Do you mean the impersonal "one", or me? Because at times it looks as if you're doing both or mixing them up. If I say to you, "you should treat other people with respect", do you think that's because of some goal I wish to achieve through that behaviour on your part? That would make moral discourse just a power conflict. No, I say that because I believe "people should treat each other with respect" to be a fact, and if it is a fact then my belief is true. If it's not a fact, then I have no basis on which to make that claim of you.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-11-28 09:11 pm (UTC)Could be either, or both. I give money to charities whose goals I want to promote, precisely because I believe those goals to be objectively good.
It is true that Paris is the capital of France. I should believe that, because it is true,
Yes.
but why 'should' I go to Paris, just because I should believe that Paris is the capital of France?
I don't follow. When did I suggest this?
No, the should of 'You should behave morally' is because you want to obtain certain goals, and moral behaviour is the behaviour which reaches those goals.
Are there certain goals which are themselves objectively good? I say yes, and that it is precisely this which is presupposed in most moral discourse.
I'm confused about your use of "you" in the last comment, as well. Do you mean the impersonal "one", or me? Because at times it looks as if you're doing both or mixing them up. If I say to you, "you should treat other people with respect", do you think that's because of some goal I wish to achieve through that behaviour on your part? That would make moral discourse just a power conflict. No, I say that because I believe "people should treat each other with respect" to be a fact, and if it is a fact then my belief is true. If it's not a fact, then I have no basis on which to make that claim of you.