Tag: Ethics
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“Modern Moral Philosophy” and the Lawgiver
by Jason Stotts I recently read G. E. M. Anscombe’s “Modern Moral Philosophy” for the first time and I think that it is one of the most astute and important essays on ethics that I have ever read. In it, she has three major theses, but it is the second that is the most important…
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Arguing Online About Ethics
by Jason Stotts Sometimes when I’m arguing about ethics online, I need to remember my Aristotle: “To examine then all the views held about happiness is superfluous, for children, sick people, and the insane all have views, but no sane person would dispute over them.” EE I.3.12b30.
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Fantasy and the “Cannibal Cop”
by Jason Stotts Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard the story of the “cannibal cop” (Gilberto Valle) who fantasized about killing and eating women in New York. Today he was convicted of plotting to kidnap a woman and improper use of a police database and sentenced for it. Now, usually I wouldn’t bring…
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Aristotle On Friendship
by Jason Stotts I have several old philosophy papers that I wrote while I was an undergrad that I still think are interesting and good. In an effort to keep them from disappearing forever, I’m going to be posting some of them on Erosophia in the next couple of months. This paper I wrote for…
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On Purpose
by Jason Stotts It’s interesting to me that one’s purpose in life is such an integral part of it, but for many people is completely opaque to them. It forms the core of who we are and how we live. It structures our life and gives us focus. Yet, there is really little to no…
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Use Somebody
by Jason Stotts In dealing with sexual issues, I frequently hear the objection that X is wrong because it involves “using somebody.” This argument is so painfully silly that it vexes me every time I hear it trotted out as the coup de grace that X is immoral. So, let’s analyze this little Kantian silliness.…