Hutcheson Moral Sense Analysis

Superior Essays
While Hobbes reduces moral motivations to the sensible qualities of pain and pleasure, Hutcheson makes the case that moral motivations are basic sensible qualities themselves. Hutcheson has a much more holistic concept of sense than Hobbes does, defining sense as a power of receiving objects external to our will.17 He specifically refers to this as: "every determination of our mind to receive ideas of pleasure and pain.18 This "moral sense" is just one of six separate faculties for sensation: the five traditional senses, the internal aesthetic sense, the "public sense" related to pleasing others, our sense of honor and our sense of dignity.19 Each of these senses are particular and basic in their own right, instead of being reducible to …show more content…
For Hutcheson, the pleasures and pains associated with the senses, are not necessarily egoistic in nature, and pleasure and pain are not necessarily connected with self-interest. Instead Hutcheson makes a key and important distinction between physiological and psychological desires. Physiological desires refer to a an aptitude or anticipation towards a particular type of pleasure, such as hunger or thirst.22 These desires may not necessarily be consciously articulated, but are still phenomenologically apparent. Psychological desires, on the other hand, refer to an attentive approach of anticipating a previously experienced pleasure. We consciously anticipate and associate a future pleasure, and we choose to do pursue said object, knowing we may receive the associated pleasure.23 When we act in accordance with these psychological desires, we can be said to be acting egoistically. Hutcheson's account also differs in that we can act in accordance to certain desires, without said desires being reduced to …show more content…
For Hutcheson, we have desire to act in a way that is morally right, in accordance to our moral sense, that precedes our hedonistic self-interest; we are compelled to help the sufferer even when we know that it would be in our self-interest to act otherwise.29 Instead of the convoluted process of imaginary substitution, Hutcheson instead argues that the sympathy is sensible due to its immediacy and passivity, and not reducible to merely the external senses with the addition of substitution. The content between egoistic thought and sympathy is also apparent by a clear phenomenological analysis: when we are thinking egoistically we are obviously aware of an interest or advantage, while virtuous thought requires a calmness and disinterestedness that does not lend itself well to a particular Hobbesian analysis. Hutcheson makes the case that the imaginary, mediated process model of sympathy is problematic precisely due the immediacy and disinterestedness of

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    This essay argues towards the conclusion that Robert Nozick’s ‘experience machine’ thought experiment does not successfully challenge hedonism as a theory of rational action. It will first explore the concept of hedonism and what would be required to mount a successful challenge to it. It will then outline the ‘experience machine’ thought experiment and assess the conclusions Nozick draws. Referring to epistemological objections raised by Woolard and Hewitt alongside methodological objections raised by De Brigard and Weijers, and analysing possible responses, it concludes that the challenge it poses to hedonism is unsuccessful.…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ethical egoism is a moral theory focused on improving a person’s well-being. There are many arguments for ethical egoism such as the self reliance argument and the best argument for ethical egoism, both presented by Shafer-Landau in The Fundamentals of Ethics. However, in this paper I will discuss how objections presented by Shafer-Landau and Dr. Thomas Carson are fatal to ethical egoism, while keeping in mind arguments for ethical egoism. I will discuss objections such as ethical egoism permitting or sometimes requiring murder, theft, or rape, in order to promote oneself’s well-being, egoists subconscious belief of their lives being more important than others, and an argument presented in class that if egoists must do what is best for their…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Abolition of Man and That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis are novels based on lectures given by the author that pursue the theme of man lacking empathy. Within the first book, The Abolition of Man, Lewis describes the importance of basing all judgments we make on what he calls the Tao: the conception of human behavior that, historically and in different moral traditions, has been considered good. As an emotion is not a judgment, it can be said that emotions and feelings do not respond to logical reasons—yet, they can be reasonable or unreasonable. Lewis states that “the heart never replaces the head; but it can, and must, obey it” (The Abolition of Man 19). Therefore, if Aristotle says that the aim of education is to get the student to have predilections and aversions for what corresponds, “the duty of the modern educator is not to cut down forests, but to irrigate deserts”, that is, the way to help the student to defend oneself properly against false feelings is to inculcate fair feelings (The Abolition of Man 13-14).…

    • 1837 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In “Why Immortality Is Not So Bad,” Fisher argues that immortality need not to be as bad as William says it would be and is inadequate. He argues that if an immortal life would be characterized by different experiences, there is no reason one to become bored with life. Although william argues that immortality would be as bad, he uses an example to prove it of a woman named EM who is immortal, for drinking a certain potion, and gets bored with life. In the end, she refuses to continue drinking it, because life has become a dull a state of boredom, indifference, and coldness. Williams claims that any kind of eternal life would end up being like this at the in the end,which is boring, meaningless, and undesirable.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Subjective Vs Hedonism

    • 1937 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Philosophical theories of well-being can be divided in subjective and objective theories of well-being. Subjective theories of well-being claim that well-being is dependent on the subject’s attitude of favor and disfavor while objective theories deny that. In this paper, I will discuss two subjective theories of well-being: theory of authentic happiness and hedonism. First, I will point out some important differences between these two theories. Then I will try to criticize hedonism from the perspective of authentic happiness theory and vice versa.…

    • 1937 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Every art and every inquiry, and likewise every action and choice, seems to aim at some good, and hence it has been beautifully said that the good is that at which all things aim.” As Aristotle makes inquires and deliberates over what is the highest end for the human life, he debates over what constitutes the highest good. Throughout the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle argues that we aim at some end through our pursuits of action, and that those ends are in some way connected at achieving the highest good. Aristotle suggests the possibility of happiness, translated from the Greek word eudaimonia, which refers to a “state of having a good indwelling spirit or being in a contented state of being healthy, happy and prosperous.” For the one who…

    • 1453 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In the last Chapter, Rachels discusses the creation of a "Satisfactory Moral Theory”, in this paper I will discuss my own creation of the Satisfactory Moral Theory. The moral theories are supposed to help us decide what are the right and wrong actions, but, not all the moral theories are perfect. We may feel that a certain conclusion to a problem is fair or unfair, but what theory do we use to make judgments?. I will start with the cultural relativism theory, to understand different cultures, There is a need to know that one community’s beliefs and practices are not usually the same as the other community. In fact, cultural relativism seems the most applicable approach to be taken on for communications purposes.…

    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hobbes Vs. Rousseau

    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Hobbes’ believes that man is naturally brutish and selfish, while Rousseau argues that the “noble…

    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Hobbes Vs Kant On Morality

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages

    This essay is solely based on the German philosopher Kant Immanuel and British philosopher Thomas Hobbes in relation to their study on morals. Both philosophers have their own understanding on the topic of morality in which both perceive ideas in their own way. Kant leans toward more of a rationalistic view of morality, emphasizing the mandatory need to ground the prior principle. Meanwhile, Hobbes has taken more of an empirical view of the fact that we ought to do what we believe in is in relation to self interest but both occur in order to take a subjective point. In other words, they viewed the issue of morality from a person-centered approach.…

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Thus, actions are deemed right or wrong based on the balance of pleasing and painful consequences that result. In Mill’s words, “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” Mill makes an important distinction between higher intellectual pleasures of the mind, and lower sensual pleasures of the body. Mental pleasures are qualitatively superior to bodily ones, and thus have more importance when assessing the consequences of our…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To be virtuous means to have high moral standards; to be righteous and honorable. Principle is moral rule or belief that helps one distinguish what is right and wrong. To have power means to have the capability to direct or influence the behavior of others. Virtue and principle go hand in hand, virtue requiring a moral compass and principle providing that said compass, but is that what’s most important? Being morally responsible?…

    • 1064 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    OSCAR WILDE: A STUDY IN ART, MORTALITY, AND PLEASURE PURSUIT Hussein Jasim Mohammed Al-Husseini English Department University of Misan Amarah, Maysan, Iraq Abstract Oscar Wild's attitude to hedonism would not be of an ordinary variety. Thus, it becomes all the more necessary to focus this study on Hedonism - Its Philosophical Bases in intertwining connection with the extraordinary strange personality of Oscar Wilde. His mind during its vigorous growth of creativity for one decade and more oscillated from the Keatsian sensuousness to the upper reaches of saint- like illuminations, as one finds in his works such as De Profundis, The Soul of Man under Socialism as well as in some of his short poems. His attitude to hedonism or pleasure -pursuit…

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Freudian theory acknowledged three subsystems in the personality which operates within the three regions of the mind, the id, ego and superego. The basis of the category centers on the function that each particular subsystem performs. The Id refers to the basic core within a personality, dominated by instincts and impulses, is fully functional during birth and located in the unconscious region of the mind (Carducci, 2009). It involves innate stimulus such as hunger, urges, desires, and impulses operating primarily on the pleasure principle. A principle that states the propensity of immediately seeking ease from the tension created to attain pleasures that eventually leads to gratification.…

    • 1790 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In class and in The Elements of Moral Philosophy by James & Stuart Rachels, I learned about the Minimum Conception of Morality (MCM). There are two key elements which make up the Minimum Conception of Morality. The first part states the moral judgments must always have good reasons for the decision. This often is confused with what they feel and not actually facts. The second part is that morality must always be impartial, and take all stakeholders into consideration without being bias.…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Today, consumers from all around the globe are saturated into various niches they adopt to buy in. Due to high competition, marketers face a tough time marketing their specific products which lead to further development and methods of selling yet not all prove beneficial. Thousands of researchers and scholars started reviewing the case from consumer’s side. Thousands of the researchers and scholars started to review the concept Impulse buying.…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays