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Quote by Catherine Wilson

“In Western Europe and North America some things are better than they were - at least relative to their moral nadirs - such as labour legislation, the opening of the professions to women, intolerance for domestic violence, but so much is still morally unacceptable - the weapons trade, cruel and unusual punishment, economic parasitism.”

Quote by Catherine Wilson

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Catherine Wilson

Catherine Wilson, who passed away on October 20, 1862, is a figure from history. Her specific occupation and category are unknown. Details about her life and contributions are limited. more

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“We call 'Slavery is wrong' a moral truth because there is a specific history of theoretical investigation of a particular kind of slavery. We discussed it for centuries in metaphysical, economic, biological, and philosophical terms; we listened to all the arguments pro and con, we read all the testimonies of slaves and witnesses, and we decided. Though this 'we" is not everybody on earth, or even most people, who've never thought about slavery much.”

People Kind Earth Term Moral Economic Century Particular Truth Is Argument Decided Philosophical Slavery Slave Witness Investigation Metaphysical Testimony Theoretical Pros And Cons

Author:Catherine Wilson

“Maybe we will get to this point and reach a decision one way or the other with 'Human cloning is acceptable,' but I doubt that it is ever going to happen for 'It is morally permissible to eat shrimp' or with the general formula 'Adultery is wrong,' whose intended extension is again very unclear.”

Way Humans Happens Decision Doubt One Way Formulas Acceptable Extensions Adultery Unclear Cloning Shrimp Human Cloning

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“Moral claims aren't, as a class, truth-value apt or not.”

Values Moral Class Claims

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“You can reasonably make the intellectual journey from thinking it's permissible to eat shrimp to thinking it's not permissible, or vice versa, whereas our slavery journey was uni-directional. We are as certain we are not going back to that old kind of slavery as we are that we aren't going back to the geocentric universe.”

Thinking Kind Certain Universe Journey Intellectual Slavery Vices Vice Versa Shrimp

Author:Catherine Wilson

“A moral rule is essentially 'advantage-reducing.' It prohibits you doing something you could do that would serve your interests at someone else's expense.”

Interest Moral Advantage Expenses Reducing

Author:Catherine Wilson

“Morality has in the past made progress when we broadened the category of things we weren't permitted to harm (animals, 'infidels'); saw through some delusions and rationalisations about what harms are good for people themselves (prison punishment, hysterectomies for unhappy 1950s wives); and readjusted our for-the-good of others criteria so as to demand only reasonable sacrifices (ceasing to use children as handy chimney sweeps).”

“There is no single test or formula for producing moral progress anymore than there is for generating scientific truths. It is a process involving theoreticians, fact-gatherers, protestors, martyrs for the cause, authors of first- person narratives who change the way we see and evaluate the distribution of harms and benefits.”

Way Firsts Persons Facts Causes Process Moral Progress Benefits Tests Harm Narrative Formulas Distribution Martyr Evaluate Involving First Person Scientific Truth

Author:Catherine Wilson

“There's nothing a priori good about equality. One person has three televisions, the other has two, so what?”

Persons Two Three Television

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“The higher the coefficient of inequality (Gini coefficient) in a society, the worse things tend to be for those at the bottom.”

Higher Bottom Inequality

Author:Catherine Wilson

“People should be able to develop their abilities and interests and have access to such goods as friendship, artistry, and nature and a political voice. It's possible to be poor and yet have all this, but in a polarized society, and one where culture and adventure have been thoroughly monetised, it is a lot more difficult.”

People Should Has Beens Able Political Culture Difficult Voice Interest Ability Poor Adventure Access Goods Artistry

Author:Catherine Wilson