We just have to understand them in a particular way.
The Promise of Perception
Professional philosophers can—and will!—engage in endless debates over the appropriateness of the analogy between moral properties and relational properties like color. Those of us less interested in establishing academic reputations than inimproving our ability to perceive and choose the right thing to do, however, can still profit from the analogy—even if it turnsout that the folks in teh ivory tower have questions left unanswered.From a practical standpoint, there are a number of benefits that make a strong case for the analogy between moral propertiesas relational properties. These include the following:
First, the analogy enables us to make a good case for the reasonable objectivity of moral properties. Our sympathy for diverse viewpoints doesn't back us into the corner of an "anything goes" relativism. On the other hand, since right andwrong
are
a product of a relationship between the judgment and the judged, there is room for a healthy appreciationof individual differences.
Second, the analogy allows us to recognize that moral progress is possible. We can see how mistaken judgments aremade and that such judgments can be improved upon.
Third, the analogy gives us a framework for improving our own—and others'—ability to perceive and choose theright thing to do. If moral properties are something we perceive, then our perceptions can be improved.
Finally, the analogy encourages us to keep broadening our perspective on the moral issues we face in our personal and professional lives. The promise of improving our judgments in the face of new perspectives compels us to continuallyreevaluate where we stand on the issues. This increases our potential for making better choices and reduces thelikelihood that we will become locked in to a view that no longer reflects our current values and vision for the peoplewe hope to be.
Chapter 2:
The Moral Spectrum: Broadening Our Perspective on the Right Thing to Do
How to Decide What is the Right Thing to Do
"Examining the way a person resolves moral dilemmas provides insight into his or her decision-making process."
Pages: 39-51
All of us have, at one time or another, faced a moral dilemma. We've experienced the troubling nature of the question:damned if I do and damned if I don't. Somehow though, we've made a decision—and the way we have says a lot about whowe are.Examining the way a person resolves moral dilemmas provides insight into his or her decision-making process. And when it's
our own
process we're examining, the insight is even more telling.When trying to figure out the right thing to do, people generally appeal to a variety of considerations that can be broken downas follows:
Feelings vs. Principles
: People either tend to rely on their emotions or to consciously consider rules when makingmoral decisions.
Motives vs. Outcomes
: People tend to be more concerned with either the motives underlying a choice or the outcomesthat follow from it.
Individual vs. Societal Considerations
: In determining the right thing to do, people tend to refer either to their ownmoral intuitions or to the more generally accepted societal declarations of right and wrong. It's a question of individual character or societal character.Each of these pairs of considerations represents a spectrum along which our decision-making process may fall. We may think of these spectra as
moral spectra
, along which we can locate some of the better-known moral theories in Western philosophy.These seven theories can—at a general level—be understood as approaching the resolution of moral issues by appealing
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