Ideas of Gordon Graham, by Theme

[British, b.1949, At St Andrews University, then Professor at Aberdeen.]

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13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 3. Subjectivism
6685 'Subjectivism' is an extension of relativism from the social group to the individual
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / g. Moral responsibility
6699 The chain of consequences may not be the same as the chain of responsibility
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism
6698 Negative consequences are very hard (and possibly impossible) to assess
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / i. Moral luck
6700 We can't criticise people because of unforeseeable consequences
23. Ethics / A. Egoism / 1. Ethical Egoism
6704 Egoism submits to desires, but cannot help form them
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / h. Right feelings
6701 Rescue operations need spontaneous benevolence, not careful thought
23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 4. Categorical Imperative
6693 'What if everybody did that?' rather misses the point as an objection to cheating
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 1. Existentialism
6691 It is more plausible to say people can choose between values, than that they can create them
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 2. Nihilism
6688 Life is only absurd if you expected an explanation and none turns up
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 5. Existence-Essence
6705 Existentialism may transcend our nature, unlike eudaimonism
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 6. Authentic Self
6690 A standard problem for existentialism is the 'sincere Nazi'
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 7. Existential Action
6689 The key to existentialism: the way you make choices is more important than what you choose
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / a. Religious Belief
6706 The great religions are much more concerned with the religious life than with ethics
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / a. Immortality
6709 Western religion saves us from death; Eastern religion saves us from immortality