Axiological ethics
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Ethics and axiology
To understand axiological ethics, an understanding of axiology and ethics is necessary. Axiology is the philosophical study of goodness (value) and is concerned with two questions. The first question regards defining and exploring understandings of 'the good' or value. This includes, for example, the distinction between
Ethics is a philosophical field which is concerned with morality, and in particular, the conduction of the right action. The defining of what the 'right' action is influenced by axiological thought in itself, much like the defining of 'beauty' within the philosophical branch of aesthetics.
Objectives
Axiological ethics can be understood as the application of axiology onto the study of ethics. It is concerned with questioning the moral grounds which we base ethical judgements on. This is done through questioning the values in which ethical principles are grounded on. Once there is recognition and understanding of the underlying values hidden within ethical claims, they can be assessed and critiqued. Through breaking ethics down to an examination of values, rather than the good, morality can be reconstructed based on redefined values or confirmed on already set values.[3]
History
Franz Brentano's descriptive psychology constitutes an important precursor of axiological ethics.[5][6] He classifies all mental phenomena into three groups: representations, judgments and phenomena of love. Of particular interest for axiological ethics are phenomena of love since they constitute the basis for our knowledge of values: an object has value if it is fitting to love this object.[7][8] This insight into what is good then informs the discipline of ethics: "the right end consists in the best of what is attainable".[9]
Opposed views
Proponents of axiological ethics often contrast their view with both
Criticism
Axiological ethics has been criticized for its epistemology and metaphysics.[6][8] Most of its proponents rely on the idea that we can gain an insight a priori into the essence of values. While this thesis is itself controversial, it becomes even more problematic when combined with the idea of value-blindness, the thesis that some people may be (for various reasons) unable to properly intuit the essences of values.[11] This can easily lead to a dogmatic position where the proponent of axiological ethics justifies her own view through intuition and dismisses opposing views as misguided due to value-blindness.[6]
The metaphysical critique of axiological ethics concerns the tendency to reify values and treat them as proper entities of their own.[6] This tendency is present in many proponents of axiological ethics but it is most explicit in Hartmann's position.
See also
References
- ISBN 9780199264797. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
- ^ "What is axiological ethics?". Life Persona. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
- ^ )
- ^ Schroeder, Mark (2016), "Value Theory", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2016 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved April 11, 2019
- ^ Findlay, J. N. (1970). "II. Brentano and Meinong". Axiological Ethics. New York: St. Martin's Press.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Düwell, Marcus; Hübenthal, Christoph; Werner, Micha H. (2006). "II.7 Wertethik". Handbuch Ethik. J.B. Metzler.
- ^ Huemer, Wolfgang (2019). "Franz Brentano". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ S2CID 144105591.
- ^ Kriegel, Uriah. "9. Ethics: The Goods". Brentano's Philosophical System: Mind, Being, Value. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b Mittelstraß, Jürgen (2005). "Wertethik". Enzyklopädie Philosophie und Wissenschaftstheorie. Metzler.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Zachary; Steinbock, Anthony (2019). "Max Scheler". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ Kelly, Eugene (2011). "2. The Phenomenology of Value". Material Ethics of Value: Max Scheler and Nicolai Hartmann. Springer.
- ^ Kelly, Eugene (2011). "1. The Idea of a Material Value-Ethics". Material Ethics of Value: Max Scheler and Nicolai Hartmann. Springer.
- ^ doi:10.1086/208037. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ISBN 0-87220-166-X.It is standard to also reference the AkademieAusgabe of Kant's works. The Groundwork occurs in the fourth volume. Citations throughout this article follow the format 4:x. For example, the above citation is taken from 4:421.