“I'm a fan of Hugh Kenner, Richard Ellman, Lionel Trilling and Frank Kermode. All these people have taught me how to read - but perhaps, above all literary critics, I'm indebted to Wayne Booth (several people have suggested to me that I'm trying to reinvent "ethical criticism").” PeopleTryingFansTaughtCriticismCriticsEthicalFrankWayneIndebted Author:Philip Kitcher
“Ethical inquiry has always been motivated by the aim of improving human conduct. It doesn't follow from that that the goal is to produce a complete rule book that would be applicable to all cases.” HumansBookWould BeGoalCasesProduceAimEthicalMotivatedImprovingInquiry Author:Philip Kitcher
“I'm very suspicious of the idea of a "final theory" in natural science, and the thought of a complete system of ethical rules seems even more dubious.” IdeasSeemsNaturalTheoryFinalsEthicalSuspiciousNatural ScienceDubious Author:Philip Kitcher
“One goal of ethical inquiry might be to uncover strategies available for use when values conflict or when rules are incomplete.” UseMightValuesGoalConflictStrategyAvailableEthicalInquiryIncomplete Author:Philip Kitcher
“My ethical naturalism sees us as facing the predicament of being social animals without evolved adaptations that make social life easy. The fundamental problem that sparks the ethical project lies in our limited responsiveness to one another. The only way we have to address that problem is through a representative, informed, and engaged conversation.” WayProblemLyingSocialEasyAnimalConversationProjectsFundamentalsEngagedAddressesEthicalSparksRepresentativesAdaptationSocial LifeNaturalismPredicamentsResponsiveness Author:Philip Kitcher
“I take the ethical truths to be the stable elements that emerge out of ethical progress and that are retained under further ethical progress.” ProgressElementsEthicalStable Author:Philip Kitcher
“When I try to outline the history of ethical life, it's sometimes possible to find evidence for a hypothesis about how important transitions actually went. Often, however, that isn't so. There are many facts about human life in the Paleolithic we're never likely to know.” KnowsTryingHumansImportantSometimesFactsEvidenceHuman LifeEthicalTransitionHypothesisOutlines Author:Philip Kitcher
“Refined religion is aimed at realizing ethical values, including the fostering of human lives and human communities.” HumansValuesRealizingCommunityIncludingHuman LifeEthicalRefinedFosteringEthical Values Author:Philip Kitcher
