Moral Literacy: or How to Do the Right Thing

116 Pages·1993·18.856 MB·English

by  Colin McGinn

Moral
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Moral Literacy
Library ofCongress Catalog Card Number: 93-77168
ISBN 0-87220-197-X clothbound
ISBN 0-87220-196-1 paperbound
(formerly 7156 2417 2)
Moral
Literacy
or
How To Do The Right Thing
McGinn
Colin
Hackett Publishing Company
Indianapolis / Cambridge
Firstpublished in 1992 by
Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.
The Old Piano Factory
48 Hoxton Square, London Nl 6PB
Copyright © 1992 by Colin McGinn
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
For further information, please address
Hackett Publishing Company. Inc.
P.O. Box44937
Indianapolis, Indiana 46244-0937
Coverdesign by Zeebra, Bristol
Library ofCongress Catalog Card Number: 93-77168
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum
requirements ofAmerican National Standard for Information
—
Sciences Permanence ofPaper for Printed Library materials,
ANSIZ39.48-1984.
Contents
Preface 7
1. Introduction 9
2. Animals 18
3. Abortion 30
4. Violence 40
5. Sex 53
6. Drugs 67
7. Censorship 80
8. Virtue 94
Index 109

Preface
Except in the broadest sense, this is not a work o( moral philo-
sophy. It is more a work of moral persuasion or advocacy.
Philosophical argument sometimes comes into it, but so alsodo
common sense, entreaty, rhetoric, humour - the usual appar-
atusofordinary moral conversation. It ranges from the obvious
and traditional to the radical andcontroversial. Sometimes Isay
things you might not need to hear; at other times I say things
you would rather not hear. Like moral discourse in general, it
goes from the banal to the exotic, all in the course (and cause)
o( fixing the moral gaze in what I believe to be the right
direction.
I intend this book for readers with no particular interest in
academic questions. They just want to figure out right from
wrong in a number of different areas, and could use a little
guidance. I thinkofmy ideal reader asyoung andopen-minded,
not yet hardened into the dogmas that so often beset the later
years (of course, you are only as old as the way you think). I
invitesuch readers toenterinto a moraldialoguewith me: Iwill
say things and they can decide whether they agree or not.
I don't like badness in people; it gives me the creeps. I also
don't like moral stupidity; I wish therewere lessofit. I have the
impression sometimes that morality is in some disrepute nowa-
days, possibly because religion comes harder to people than it
used to. Peopleseem not tocare about itverymuch. Someeven
affect to believe that it is a sham, an illusion. This book is
dedicated to opposing that point ofview. Morality is real and
important, and isn't always self-evident. You have towork at it
ifyou want to get it right.
8 Preface
I suppose I have to confess to wanting to make the world a
betterplace,whichiswhyI havewritten thisbook. Itis amotive
thatis hard tosuppress, despite its hopelessness. Butyou never
know, do you?
Forhelpfulreactions toanearlierdraft, Iwould liketothank
Stephan Chambers, Colin Haycraft, Douglas Husak, Pandora
Kazeppis, Consuelo Preti and Michele Schiffer. Let me also
thank all the people I have known, good and bad, who have
made me think about morality.
New York C. McG.
December 1991