Philosophy
Ethicists use the term "supererogatory" for acts that are above and beyond the call of duty, that is, acts that are good, but not morally required. I've been thinking lately about how we draw this line.
You're standing in line at the grocery store with a bunch of items and the person behind you has only one thing. The nice thing is to let this person move in front of you in line. It will only inconvenience you slightly, whereas waiting for you to finish would take quite a bit longer. A thoughtful gesture. But is it necessary? If you are the one with the one item and you know that the person in front of you with the basket full knows full well that you would be through in a flash and refuses to be kind, do you have reason to be upset, to think bad thoughts about this person's character?
At what point does nice turn into necessary?
- Hotels And Kant
I've been fascinated by the way in which hotels now play up the fact that they send in folks to freshen up rooms less frequently as something that has environmentally friendly effects. By using less water and energy washing towels and sheets, the...
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Let's try something new, something completely different. I've had this idea for a while and wasn't sure if it would fly, but what the heck. It'll be called "The Kind of Person" and the idea is that I will sketch an archetype and in the...
- Aisle Be Seeing You: Checkout Lane Ethics
So you're in line at the grocery store and the cashier is just starting to ring up your groceries when you realize you've forgotten something. Is there anything wrong with running back and grabbing it if there is someone behind you? Are you right...
- Do You Have To Do Something To Do Something Good?
Whenever I teach ethics, one point in Kant's discussion that always gives rise to an interesting conversation is his claim that for an act to be of moral worth, it cannot serve any positive purpose for the person who does it. Even if it just makes...
- Judging Actions, Judging People
One of the barriers to robust moral discourse in our society is a reluctance on the part of smart, thoughtful, caring people to make clear judgments about the actions of others, even when the actions are clearly wrong. One of the major sources of this...
Philosophy
When Is Thoughtfulness Morally Necessary?
Ethicists use the term "supererogatory" for acts that are above and beyond the call of duty, that is, acts that are good, but not morally required. I've been thinking lately about how we draw this line.
You're standing in line at the grocery store with a bunch of items and the person behind you has only one thing. The nice thing is to let this person move in front of you in line. It will only inconvenience you slightly, whereas waiting for you to finish would take quite a bit longer. A thoughtful gesture. But is it necessary? If you are the one with the one item and you know that the person in front of you with the basket full knows full well that you would be through in a flash and refuses to be kind, do you have reason to be upset, to think bad thoughts about this person's character?
At what point does nice turn into necessary?
- Hotels And Kant
I've been fascinated by the way in which hotels now play up the fact that they send in folks to freshen up rooms less frequently as something that has environmentally friendly effects. By using less water and energy washing towels and sheets, the...
- The Kind Of Person: An Experiment
Let's try something new, something completely different. I've had this idea for a while and wasn't sure if it would fly, but what the heck. It'll be called "The Kind of Person" and the idea is that I will sketch an archetype and in the...
- Aisle Be Seeing You: Checkout Lane Ethics
So you're in line at the grocery store and the cashier is just starting to ring up your groceries when you realize you've forgotten something. Is there anything wrong with running back and grabbing it if there is someone behind you? Are you right...
- Do You Have To Do Something To Do Something Good?
Whenever I teach ethics, one point in Kant's discussion that always gives rise to an interesting conversation is his claim that for an act to be of moral worth, it cannot serve any positive purpose for the person who does it. Even if it just makes...
- Judging Actions, Judging People
One of the barriers to robust moral discourse in our society is a reluctance on the part of smart, thoughtful, caring people to make clear judgments about the actions of others, even when the actions are clearly wrong. One of the major sources of this...