Moral philosophy(p. 16-17)
Moral questions have been the most central issue in philosophy. Intellectual pondering on ethical questions has been an important base for scientific as well as social and educational programs, and thus the development of society. On the other hand, moral philosophy can be seen as a reflection of social processes that already are in movement. It is, however, putting words, concepts to the process and offering critical perspectives and a moral description of the moral phenomena that exist and which are central themes in contemporary, as well as historical social processes. Important philosophical texts and discussions on morals flourished, for example, in the aftermath of The Second World War, and older philosophical contributions were revisited and criticised. Both intellectual and political endeavours contributed to the formulation of international declarations of human rights, important formulations also for the professional ethics. None of the then existing professions came through the war-times without flaws in their professional integrity.
Developments in other sciences and scientifically based professions are important contributors to unravelling the phenomena and processes that are of interest to philosophers. The Adorno studies on the authoritarian personality had impact on philosophy, as well as the Milgram study, described in chapter 7. In another context, Psychology’s discovery of the socially competent baby is also beginning to catch the interest of philosophers thinking about moral questions. When dependencies, as well as personal competence, are central in a relationship, right from the child’s first cry, dialogue is necessary to solve the ethical challenges, so also in developmental support.
Albeit philosophers had foreseen some of the later discoveries of dialogical processes in their discussions on the moral appeals and contradictions that exist in the human encounter (Arendt 1978, Levinas 1981). Sometimes it can be said that philosophy poses questions, and other sciences"see" and describe the phenomena foreseen and advised by philosophy, as well as the other way round. Without an input from moral philosophy to scientific progress and practice, science loses an important compass for its development as legitimate and valuable social practice. That does not mean that the compass always is right: it must always be tested and criticized.
Intellectually marvellous moral ideas and constructs can go terribly wrong when they are seen as"The Solution" and put into practice. Religious texts have important intellectual contributions to understanding and solving moral dilemmas, and historically many important philosophical contributions, both from eastern and western cultures are hybrid philosophical texts on religious and moral questions. The problem when moral text and thinking are too closely connected to religion and political ambitions is that they often imply or are accompanied by intolerance for other perspectives. At the edge of moral philosophy are art and literature which also often examine moral questions. An important part of the intellectual consciousness and development of moral questions are found in the works of artists, novelists and authors, and the later intellectual discussions of the texts and artistic expressions. Dostoyevsky, Ibsen, Kafka and an endless line of other authors and artists have made important contributions to the moral discourse and to our understanding of ethical dilemmas, our human failures and successes.
It is important that the ethical principles formulated by the profession and the practice that follows has resonance in moral philosophy so that the practice has an intellectually well founded background. |
