Two Views of Virtue: Absolute Relativism and Relative Absolutism (Contributions in Philosophy)

215 Pages·2000·0.89 MB·English

by  F. F. Centore

T V V
WO IEWS OF IRTUE
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T V V
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ABSOLUTE RELATIVISM AND
RELATIVE ABSOLUTISM
F.F.Centore
Contributions in Philosophy, Number 76
Greenwood Press
Westport, Connecticut • London
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Centore,F.F.,1938–
Twoviewsofvirtue : absoluterelativismandrelativeabsolutism / F.F.Centore.
p. cm.—(Contributionsinphilosophy,ISSN0084–926X ; no.76)
Includesbibliographicalreferences(p. )andindex.
ISBN0–313–31412–8(alk.paper)
1. Ethicalabsolutism. 2. Ethicalrelativism. 3. Religiousethics. 4. Virtue.
I. Title. II. Series.
BJ1031.C46 2000
171—dc21 99–056461
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright©2000byF.F.Centore
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:99–056461
ISBN:0–313–31412–8
ISSN:0084–926X
Firstpublishedin2000
GreenwoodPress,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.greenwood.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Tomywife,HelenAngela,
andourchildren,Helen,PaulMatthew,andLaura
It is always simple to fall;there are an infinity of angles at
whichonefalls,onlyoneatwhichonestands.
—G.K.Chesterton,Orthodoxy,p.186.
Inthefirstplace,philosophersarefreetolaydowntheirown
setsofprinciples,butoncethisisdone,theynolongerthink
astheywish—theythinkastheycan.Inthesecondplace,...
anyattemptonthepartofaphilosophertoshuntheconse-
quencesofhisownpositionisdoomedtofailure.
—E.Gilson,TheUnityofPhilosophicalExperience,
pp.301–302.
Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xvii
1. AbsoluteRelativismOne:Individual-ThinkIsthe
Measure 1
2. AbsoluteRelativismTwo:Group-ThinkIstheMeasure 37
3. AbsoluteRelativismThree:TheGoodGoalIstheMeasure 73
4. RelativeAbsolutism:GodIstheMeasure 105
Notes 143
Bibliography 167
Index 189

Preface
Manythingsarenotwhattheyappeartobeatfirstglance.Weknowthat
thereisnoleadinleadpencils,thatabbreviationisalongwordwhile
longisashortword,thatmotionpicturesdonotmove,thatthepeopleof
thefrozennorthinventedsunglasseswhilethoseofthesunnysouthdid
not,andthatheavycreamweighslessthanlightcream.Nowwewillsee
that,ofthefourtheoriesofethicsunderdiscussion,allclaimingtobehu-
manisticandtwoclaimingtobemoremoderatethanthefirstandfourth
theories,onlyoneoutofthefourreallyisbothhumanisticandmoderate.
Anotherwayofdiscussingthistopicistocastitinthelanguageofhu-
manvirtue.Questionsaboutvirtuefallwithintheareaofethicsorprac-
tical knowledge, that is, knowledge aimed at action and doing. Conse-
quently,thisstudyisaboutbeingpractical,notinthesenseofbuildinga
better mousetrap or a taller building, but in the really fundamental
senseofleadingagoodlifeinagoodsociety.Inphilosophy,makinggood
decisions is called being prudent, and what constitutes prudence de-
pendsuponyourmodelofmorality.1
InthisbookIamconcernedwithmoralsratherthanmanners.Iam
not concerned with matters of etiquette and protocol that lie between
whatismorallyrightandmorallywrong,suchastactlesslywearingan
oldT-shirttoaperformanceattheRoyalOperaHouseinLondon,orwith
actsthatarenormallymorallyneutral,suchasbutteringyourbreadon
onesideratherthanontheother.Moreover,myemphasisisonthecen-
tralideaofeachofthedifferentpositionsandnotontheminutevaria-
tionsanddisagreementsthataresuretooccurwithineachparadigm.
x PREFACE
Onthelevelofbasicmoralmodels,wecandiscernatleastfourpossi-
ble ethical prototypes:Absolute Relativism One,Two,and Three,and
RelativeAbsolutism.Thefirsttheoryspellsnihilism.Theoriestwoand
threeareattemptstoescapethisnihilism.Theorytwoisthefirstvaria-
tion on theory one,and theory three is the second variation.However,
the escape mechanisms do not work.In other words,theories two and
threereducetotheoryone.
AccordingtoAbsoluteRelativismOne,virtuehangsonthewillofthe
individual,andwouldincludeanyonewhosubstituteshiswillforanin-
tellectincapableofknowingreality.InthecaseofImmanuelKant,for
instance,hisclaimtohavinganabsolutelyuniversalmoralprincipleisa
charade.Kantlockshimselfinaroom,placesthekeyinhispocket,and
thenclaimstobeboundbyamoralimperative.Infact,allheisreally
boundbyishisownwill,somethinghecanchangeatanytime.
Allfourtheoriesagreethatitisimpossibletolivewithoutmeaningin
life.Thedebateisnotovertheexistenceofmeaning,butthesourceofthe
meaning.Wheredoesourpurposeinlifecomefrom?Theissueisnotthe
lackofsomethingclaimedtobetrueandgood,butitscontent.Inthefirst
theorythesolitarywillisthemeasureofwhatisgood.Yousetyourown
goalsandgenerateyourownmoralcriteria,inventingyourowndefini-
tions of everything, whether it is a fair wage, justifiable homicide, or
marriage. You need not, unless you feel like it, take into account the
viewsofyourgovernmentorreligion.Thisisoftenreferredtoasthe“lib-
eral”positioninmoralmattersbecauseitallowsyoutodoanythingyou
feel like doing. Ultimately, the first paradigm must maintain that all
moralchoicesareonapar;anylifestyleisasgoodasanyother.Theonly
importantissueiswhetheritworksforyou.
BeingaMotherTeresaofCalcuttaisonaparwithbeingaSimonede
BeauvoirofParisoraDemiMooreofHollywood.Beingthecomicbook
artistAndyWarholisonaparwithbeingaMahatmaGandhi.Theonly
realimmoralityisthinkingthatsomethingisimmoralindependentlyof
yourwill.Ifyourdeedsareillegal,youruntheriskofbeingpunished,
butthatisachanceyoumayhavetotakeinordertobeyourownperson.
Undercertaincircumstances,beingadissentercanbedangerous.Con-
sequently,for those committed to Absolute Relativism One,it pays to
liveinacountrywhereaslittleaspossibleisillegal.
Whetherornotyoucontributemoneytothepoor,blowupagovern-
mentbuilding,orforceyourselfsexuallyonyourneighborisyourown
business.Ifyouareamemberofajuryyoucanvoteanywayyoufeellike,
ignoring both the evidence and the law.Not harming others is itself a
rule that you may or may not freely follow.You can accept the Golden
Rulebecauseyouwillit,oryoucanrejectit.Moreover,ifyoudoacceptit,
youcandosocafeteriastyle.Youcanbeselectivewithrespecttothose
whomyouchoosetoharmorhelp.