Ethical foundations of the left

[Luke Benjamin Weiger]

My allusion to the skepticism of pragmatists was too broad.  Indeed,
pragmatists (to cite one example) are certainly less skeptical than most
when it comes to the weight moral intuitions ought to be given.  But they
are much more so when it comes to ethical arguments, and this is the
skepticism I meant to refer to.  I think I should point out that, although
I'm certainly no expert, that many pragmatists give moral argument less
credit than Justin does.  Rorty might question whether they actually do get
us any closer to the "truth."

-- Luke

----- Original Message -----
From: "Justin Schwartz" <jkschw at hotmail.com>
To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2001 7:52 AM
Subject: Re: Ethical foundations of the left


>
> I'm a pragmatist, and no skeptic. I'm a coppper-bottomed realist about
> science and at least a tin-bottomed realist about ethics. I think
arguments
> can help us become better justified in our beliefs, and more likely to
have
> true ones. I just doubt their motivational power where argument opposes
> interest or even intellectual intertia. Marxists and people influenced by
> historical materialism ought to be comfortable with that idea.
>
> --jks