[lit-ideas] Re: On being called a Lyre

EY:

Emotions provide moral intuitions that are necessary for deliberative
activity.  Without them, there are no means for distinguishing the
slaughter of a cow from the slaughter of a person.
I agree with this, but I hasten to point out that there are those among us who would fault you and I for not having the moral intuition to realize that there is no distinction between slaughtering a cow and slaughtering a person. I don't have an answer for them except to say that within my belief system there is such a distinction. I can't prove it, but I believe in a hierarchy of species of beings that approves of killing and eating any species that can't tell me not to. Sweet cultural approbation. It also allows for wars as long as you don't eat the enemy. 

Mike Geary
Memphis
----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxx> 
To: "Lit-Ideas@Freelists. Org" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 11:32 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: On being called a Lyre



Walter O. wrote:

"I see you've been drinking with David Hume and Adam Smith again."

There are worse drinking companions.  I am particularly in agreement
with Hume on the importance and role of 'custom', which seems to be an
underdeveloped aspect in Hume scholarship.

Walter continues:

"I do not deny that the emotions can be motivating factors."

My claim is not that their importance lies in motivation but rather
that emotions are necessary for both locating and identifying moral
issues.  The shock and offense that comes from being confronted with
injustice provides moral discourse with the impetus and stuff for
deliberation.  Consider the sociopath who is incapable of experiencing
moral outrage and therefore cannot engage in moral discourse.
Emotions provide moral intuitions that are necessary for deliberative
activity.  Without them, there are no means for distinguishing the
slaughter of a cow from the slaughter of a person.


Sincerely,

Phil Enns
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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