[lbo-talk] Moral Foundations

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Wed Dec 24 17:47:30 PST 2008


Michael Smith wrote:


>
> The existing social order always claims to have a moral
> "foundation". To expose the falsity of that claim is
> one of the tasks of any critical thought worthy of the
> name. And it's not only useful (for agitational purposes)
> but truthful, to show that the existing order violates
> all the actual moral impulses that its subjects feel.
>

--Hypothesis: the "actual moral impulses" that people feel are a product of social relations. Thus capitalism does not simply censor some authentic, preexisting morality; rather, it creates "authentic" moral impulses that are construed as natural by the people in a capitalist society.

Miles



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list