Quote by John Lachs
Value is the way animal interest and partiality are experienced in consciousness. As such, they involve a relation between objects of pursuit, animal tendencies and the intuited moral essences the psyche projects on what it seeks. We cannot speak of virtue and vice, therefore, without taking the needs and the desires, the very nature of the animal into account. These natures are diverse and changeable; any overlap between them is a contingent matter of fact. Moral truth thus becomes empirical truth about morality, a prosaic catalogue of who prizes what, a record of the moral history of the world rather than a guide to its correct development.
Summary
This quote explains that value is the subjective experience of animal interests and biases in consciousness. It suggests that values are formed through a relationship between objects, animal tendencies, and the moral essence projected by the psyche. It argues that virtues and vices cannot be discussed without considering the needs, desires, and nature of the individual animal. These natures differ and can change, with any similarities between them being incidental. As a result, moral truth is seen as empirical truth based on observations of what individuals prioritize, rather than a definitive guide for moral progress.
Topics
Morals
By John Lachs
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