“How could it be that I had a legal obligation to kill people I did not know, and who did certainly not consent to it, while my father's doctor could not help my father to die when my farther asked for it? My consternation brought me to moral philosophy and a life-long search for an answer to the question when and why we should, and when we shouldn't, kill.” PeopleKnowsShouldLongPhilosophyHelpingDiesFatherAnswersMoralDoctorsObligationConsentLong LifeMoral PhilosophyConsternation Author:Torbjorn Tannsjo
“I believe that one basic question, what we ought to do, period (the moral question), is a genuine one. There exists a true answer to it, which is independent of our thought and conceptualisation.” BelieveI BelieveAnswersMoralOughtPeriodsIndependentGenuineOur Thoughts Author:Torbjorn Tannsjo
“Once we realise that utilitarianism comes with the idea of blameworthy rightdoing (such as when you push a big man onto the tracks in order to save five lives) and blameless wrongdoing (such as when you don't push a big man onto the tracks in order to save five lives), then utilitarianism all of a sudden appears to give the right answers.” MenGivingIdeasBigsOrderAnswersFiveTrackRealisingWrongdoingRight AnswersUtilitarianismBlameless Author:Torbjorn Tannsjo
“The best explanation why people agree is that they have converged on true answers.” PeopleAnswersAgreeExplanation Author:Torbjorn Tannsjo
“It is true that it feels very differently to enjoy a good meal, taking part in an interesting conversation, or to think of how successful your children are. Suppose we do all these things at a particular time. How happy are we at the time? We do not need to calculate the value of each such feelings on any singular scale to answer this question. We need not see our happiness at the time as a mathematical function of these items. It is rather that all these experiences, together with many other factors, causally puts us at the time at a certain level of happiness, i.e. in a certain mood.” ThinkingNeedsFeelsChildrenFeelingsTogetherCertainValuesEnjoyAnswersInterestingLevelsSuccessfulParticularConversationFunctionOur ChildrenMoodScalesFactorsMathematicalYour ChildrenMealsItemsGood MealsInteresting Conversation Author:Torbjorn Tannsjo
