Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 00:30:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Justin Schwartz <jschwart-AT-freenet.columbus.oh.us>
Subject: Re: M-TH: ethics and intentions


On Tue, 10 Feb 1998, Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:

> Isn't the main function of abstract ethical principles under capitalism to
> make people experience themselves as free individuals whose intentions
> count more than their actions?

How about this abstract ethical principle: maximize social welfare.
Utilitarianism tells us your intentions as such don't count. They matter
only insofar as they lead you to act in the right way. I don't mean
tooffer this as an endorsement of utilitarianism, but as a refutation of
Yoshie's (to be frank) boneheaded remark. I don't get Yoshie's allergy to
morality. Morality is about doing the right thing, even Kant's morality.
The categorical imperative in all four versions starts out, "Always act so
as . . . ." Maybe Yoshie doesn't want us to do the right thing?

--jks




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