Language, Ethics, and Freedom: Key Concepts
Posted on Nov 18, 2024 in Philosophy and ethics
Different Conceptions of Language
Referential (Reality)
- Importance of knowing the language code.
- Potential for miscommunication despite shared codes.
- Semantic shifts and evolving conventions.
Logical (Thinking)
- Language as a tool to represent and communicate reality.
- Emphasis on internal coherence and logic.
- Classifying propositions for clarity and consequence.
Pragmatic (Uses)
- Focus on ordinary language and its practical applications.
- Language as a versatile tool with multiple functions.
- Wittgenstein: language as a toolbox.
The Good Life (Hexose) and Good Life (Values)
- What do I do? – Satisfying desires through intelligence.
- Acquiring knowledge about reality.
- Morality and living a good life based on values.
Moral Capacity Development
Kohlberg
- Stages of moral development: pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional.
- Increasing autonomy and value-driven choices.
Maslow
- Hierarchy of needs and functional autonomy.
- Needs satisfaction and its impact on moral choices.
Freedom of Action and Election
- Election: Choosing between options without external force.
- Action: Freedom from external constraints.
- Reflecting on limits to ensure shared freedom.
Fundamentals of Values
Extrinsic
God
- Moral claims based on divine will.
- Religious texts and interpretations.
- Ethical problems becoming theological.
Law
- Legality as a criterion for morality.
- Collective acceptance of behavioral patterns.
Nature
- Nature as a source of inspiration and model for goodness.
- Naturalistic fallacy: equating what is with what should be.
- Nature’s diverse interpretations.
Defenders of Freedom
- Buridan: Reductio ad absurdum argument.
- Kant: Knowing vs. thinking; ideas’ importance.
- Hume/Mill: Freedom from external constraints.
- Sartre: Humans define their lives through choices.
- Bergson: Consciousness and physical world distinction.
