I think that ethics come from, ultimately, the structure of language and reason. Now, I don't think that language and reason are divorced from our cultural and biological histories, but that they do sort of push us into certain non-empirical principles which are sort of contingently categorical...[example of maths]...I think ethical premises work in more or less the same way, the result of linguistic structures which structure thought. Because of this, ethical principles are always-already built into our language games.
Ah! I think I am fumbling towards understanding you in terms that actually make sense to me. So, let me see if I've got this right: you believe that reason and language, arising as they do from our cultural and biological histories, reveal things which we can call categorical ethical truths because when examined by that reason and language they reveal themselves to be consistent.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-26 02:19 pm (UTC)Ah! I think I am fumbling towards understanding you in terms that actually make sense to me. So, let me see if I've got this right: you believe that reason and language, arising as they do from our cultural and biological histories, reveal things which we can call categorical ethical truths because when examined by that reason and language they reveal themselves to be consistent.
Yes, no or marmalade?