“My version of relativism is pluralistic and attributes functions to morality that in combination with human nature place limits on what could count as a true morality. Unlike many other relativists, I do not hold that people are subject to a morality because they all belong to a certain group. That is, I don't hold that being a member of a group makes one's subject to some set of generally accepted norms. What is true is that others around us teach us morality and moral language, so they inevitably influence us.” PeopleLanguageMoralTeachInfluenceHuman NatureMoralityAcceptedNormRelativism Author:David Wong
“People come to have different moral beliefs because they have different non-moral beliefs about relevant facts. People are disposed to believe whatever justifies the practices and institutions that benefit them. But I argue that not all moral differences can be explained away in such a fashion. Some of the most profound disagreements come from differences in priority assigned to values such as relationship and community on the one hand, and individual rights and personal autonomy for the individual, on the other hand.” PeopleBelieveDifferentValuesIndividualBeliefCommunityMoralFashionProfoundArguingPrioritiesJustifyRelevantAutonomyDisagreementIndividual Rights Author:David Wong
“My own sense as an American is that we have begun to experience the disadvantages of framing virtually all moral issues in terms of individual rights. American history has consisted of swings back and forth between rights talk on the one hand and talk of duties, responsibilities, and the common good on the other hand. Recent decades have seen a big swing toward rights, and conceived in very individualistic terms, which hasn't always been the case even with rights.” IndividualTermCommonResponsibilityMoralDutyAmerican HistoryCommon GoodIndividual RightsFraming Author:David Wong
“For Confucians, we are such thoroughly social beings that individual and social interests are not in the end regarded as fundamentally incompatible. Though there will be conflicts, the central mission of moral and political philosophy is to foster approaches that will render them compatible or if that is not possible in some cases, to keep a reasonable balance so that neither side is consistently sacrificed for the sake of the other.” PhilosophyPoliticalIndividualInterestMoralBalanceConflictConsistentlyPolitical Philosophy Author:David Wong
“To this day I don’t know if he was struggling with the moral implications of gunning down half a dozen civilians, or if he was mentally counting to see if he had that many shells left in the gun.” IfsKnowsLeftHalfMoralStruggleGunThis DayDozenShellsCiviliansCountingImplications Book:John Dies at the End Source: John Dies at the End
