I actually think categorising ethical systems is of limited use in actually making the myriad decisions we all have to make every day in dealing with so-called life. Any "system" other than just always choosing wnat is best for you works for me - fsvo works.
I also think the dichotomies between these systems break down very easily. Take for example the "is it OK to send yopur children to public school2 issue we were discussing recently. My objections to this are political, thus I suppose deontological. You, IIRC, were defending this using consequentialism, but I dont agree that there are no harmful consequences resulting from sending your children to public school (for example, it helps perpetuate the public school system).
The biggest difficulty I have with consequentialism is that it is actually impossible to predict the consequences of most actions with any precision.. The biggest difficulty I have with deontologicalism is that it is absolutist - e.g. adultery is wrong because god says, homosexuality is wrong because it is the product of decadent Western capitalism.
I realise that this entire comment, and indeed your poll, grossly simplify complex philosophical questions.
Tell you what though, I cant see any virtue in "virtue ethics" ! Is that Nietzsche??
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-07-18 02:04 pm (UTC)I also think the dichotomies between these systems break down very easily. Take for example the "is it OK to send yopur children to public school2 issue we were discussing recently. My objections to this are political, thus I suppose deontological. You, IIRC, were defending this using consequentialism, but I dont agree that there are no harmful consequences resulting from sending your children to public school (for example, it helps perpetuate the public school system).
The biggest difficulty I have with consequentialism is that it is actually impossible to predict the consequences of most actions with any precision.. The biggest difficulty I have with deontologicalism is that it is absolutist - e.g. adultery is wrong because god says, homosexuality is wrong because it is the product of decadent Western capitalism.
I realise that this entire comment, and indeed your poll, grossly simplify complex philosophical questions.
Tell you what though, I cant see any virtue in "virtue ethics" ! Is that Nietzsche??