Comments on: Libertarians Against Subjectivism http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/04/libertarians_ag.html The Law, the Universe, and Everything Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:22:46 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: Patrick S. O'Donnell http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/04/libertarians_ag.html/comment-page-1#comment-54167 Patrick S. O'Donnell Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:47:25 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2007/04/libertarians-against-subjectivism.html#comment-54167 Values as such are objective but they have an ineluctable subjective dimension: it is their appreciation, celebration, articulation, instantiation, realization, expression, etc. that is subjective.... Hence, for example, many individuals might realize or express the same value(s) in myriad ways. Philosophers as different as Robert Nozick and Nicholas Rescher have discussed this in some depth. Values as such are objective but they have an ineluctable subjective dimension: it is their appreciation, celebration, articulation, instantiation, realization, expression, etc. that is subjective…. Hence, for example, many individuals might realize or express the same value(s) in myriad ways. Philosophers as different as Robert Nozick and Nicholas Rescher have discussed this in some depth.

]]> By: Matt http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/04/libertarians_ag.html/comment-page-1#comment-54166 Matt Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:16:16 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2007/04/libertarians-against-subjectivism.html#comment-54166 The Kitcher article reference is here: Ethics, Vol. 110, No. 1 (Oct., 1999), pp. 59-83 It's avaliable on JSTOR for those who have access. Amazing what google will let you find these days. It's well worth the read. The Kitcher article reference is here:

Ethics, Vol. 110, No. 1 (Oct., 1999), pp. 59-83

It’s avaliable on JSTOR for those who have access. Amazing what google will let you find these days. It’s well worth the read.

]]> By: Matt http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/04/libertarians_ag.html/comment-page-1#comment-54165 Matt Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:08:45 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2007/04/libertarians-against-subjectivism.html#comment-54165 For some (to my mind decisive) reasons to be skeptical about the possibility of an "objective and virtue-oriented account of wellbeing" you might like to look at Philip Kitcher's essay "Essence and Perfection". It was mostly a review of Tom Hurka's book _Perfectionism_ but the critique applies quite generally to the sort of naturalistic account of wellbeing found in Aristotle and his followers. I don't have the full citation right now but it was in the journal _Ethics_ some time ago, in the early to mid 90's I think. Really first-rate stuff, and pretty devistating to that line of thought, I think. For some (to my mind decisive) reasons to be skeptical about the possibility of an “objective and virtue-oriented account of wellbeing” you might like to look at Philip Kitcher’s essay “Essence and Perfection”. It was mostly a review of Tom Hurka’s book _Perfectionism_ but the critique applies quite generally to the sort of naturalistic account of wellbeing found in Aristotle and his followers. I don’t have the full citation right now but it was in the journal _Ethics_ some time ago, in the early to mid 90’s I think. Really first-rate stuff, and pretty devistating to that line of thought, I think.

]]> By: Daniel Goldberg http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/04/libertarians_ag.html/comment-page-1#comment-54164 Daniel Goldberg Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:58:45 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2007/04/libertarians-against-subjectivism.html#comment-54164 Frank, I'm not sure I understand why subjectivity in values is such a problem (and I'm trying to understand why you deem virtue-oriented theories to be more "objective"). Such subjectivity does indeed make policy and moral theory difficult, but whoever said it would be easy? I think the effort to mask the ineluctable subjectivity of value discourse by "objectifying" ethics is one of the most mischievous legacies of modernity. Frank,

I’m not sure I understand why subjectivity in values is such a problem (and I’m trying to understand why you deem virtue-oriented theories to be more “objective”).

Such subjectivity does indeed make policy and moral theory difficult, but whoever said it would be easy? I think the effort to mask the ineluctable subjectivity of value discourse by “objectifying” ethics is one of the most mischievous legacies of modernity.

]]> By: Patrick S. O'Donnell http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2007/04/libertarians_ag.html/comment-page-1#comment-54163 Patrick S. O'Donnell Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:42:29 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2007/04/libertarians-against-subjectivism.html#comment-54163 Hear! Hear! Hear! Hear!

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