Review: Confucius and MoziReview: Confucius and Mozi• Psychology part of law argumentPsychology part of law argument

• theory oftheory of 人性人性• Human nature mixed social (not Human nature mixed social (not GoodGood) )

• Interpretive argument applies to Interpretive argument applies to 禮禮 liliritualritual

• 正 名正 名 zheng-mingzheng-mingrectify namesrectify names detail detail• Guides application of Guides application of 禮禮 liliritualritual in in

actionaction• Requires Requires 仁仁 renrenhumanityhumanity in sage (and in sage (and

us?)us?)• Or guides in wrong wayOr guides in wrong way

Debate With MoziDebate With Mozi• Tradition can be wrongTradition can be wrong

• Argument by example Argument by example • Presupposing Confucian attitudesPresupposing Confucian attitudes

• Therefore need a standard to Therefore need a standard to selectselect• Implies following tradition is naturalImplies following tradition is natural

• Question is which tradition? Modified?Question is which tradition? Modified?

• Non-social Standard Non-social Standard • (otherwise could leave)(otherwise could leave)• Inference to Inference to 天 天 tiantiannature:skynature:sky standard standard • Natural guide to prefer Natural guide to prefer 利 利 to to 害 害 li-li-

haihaibenefit-harmbenefit-harm

QuestionsQuestionsNo quiz this week No quiz this week

Coffee Tutorial todayCoffee Tutorial today

Result: UtilitarianismResult: Utilitarianism

• Test of a Test of a daodao is general well is general well beingbeing

• Utility an anti-tradition moralityUtility an anti-tradition morality•Same in the West—diff traditionSame in the West—diff tradition• Implies moral judgments that Implies moral judgments that

conflict with conventional normsconflict with conventional norms•Pre-marital sex, recreational drugs, Pre-marital sex, recreational drugs, prostitution, homosexual actsprostitution, homosexual acts

•Kill poor people (more avg happiness)Kill poor people (more avg happiness)•No birth control (more total No birth control (more total happiness)happiness)

Moral Reform ImpasseMoral Reform Impasse

•Your standard must be Your standard must be wrongwrong•It implies It implies immoral immoral actions are actions are rightright

•No, it shows they are No, it shows they are immoralimmoral•Traditionalist begs the Traditionalist begs the question at issuequestion at issue

•What is the correct What is the correct moralitymorality

Partial SolutionPartial Solution

• Collectively self-defeating moralitiesCollectively self-defeating moralities• The soldier story: The soldier story:

• Confucian morality recommends Confucian morality recommends universaluniversal (utilitarian) attitudes in others(utilitarian) attitudes in others

• Cannot recommend itself as the public Cannot recommend itself as the public collectivecollective moralitymorality

• Western Hobbes parallelWestern Hobbes parallel• Egoism is a self-defeating moralityEgoism is a self-defeating morality• I would be worse off as an egoist if everyone I would be worse off as an egoist if everyone

had my moral attitudeshad my moral attitudes

• Weakness like Socratic methodWeakness like Socratic method• Only tells what is wrong, not what is Only tells what is wrong, not what is

rightright• Premise: existing attitude Premise: existing attitude • Conclusion: different attitudeConclusion: different attitude

Yang Zhu Yang Zhu 楊朱楊朱• Ethical egoism Ethical egoism

•Distinguish psychological Distinguish psychological egoism and ethical egotismegoism and ethical egotism

•No psychological egoism in No psychological egoism in ancient Chinaancient China

• 天天 Tian Tian nature:sky'snature:sky's mandate in mandate in our constitutionour constitution•氣氣 qiqibreathbreath medical theory? medical theory?

• Mencius Mencius 辯 辯 (disputes) to (disputes) to answer Yang-Moanswer Yang-Mo

Ethics: Sub-fields (for Mencius)Ethics: Sub-fields (for Mencius)

• Divisions:Divisions:•MetaethicsMetaethics

•Epistemology, semantics, Epistemology, semantics, objectivity of ethicsobjectivity of ethics

•Moral psychologyMoral psychology•Tendency to be ethical, selfish, Tendency to be ethical, selfish, religious, etcreligious, etc

•Normative theoryNormative theory•Systematic answer to "what Systematic answer to "what should I do“should I do“

• The highest “should” premise from The highest “should” premise from which all moral conclusions followwhich all moral conclusions follow

MenciusMencius 孟子孟子• Twin challenge of Yang and MoTwin challenge of Yang and Mo

•Otherwise would not Otherwise would not 辯 辯 bianbiandistinction disputedistinction dispute

•Adapts Yang Zhu's idea to answer Adapts Yang Zhu's idea to answer MoziMozi•Alternative account of “natural will” Alternative account of “natural will”

• Inborn human dispositions/tendencies Inborn human dispositions/tendencies 性性

•Shares the authority ofShares the authority of 天天 tiantiannature:skynature:sky

• Derivation from inborn Derivation from inborn capacity capacity 性性

Strategy: Rituals as NaturalStrategy: Rituals as Natural

•Origin of burial Origin of burial 禮禮 liliritualritual story story•Spontaneous (unsocialized) Spontaneous (unsocialized) reactionsreactions

• 禮 禮 liliritualritual conventions emerge conventions emerge from natural responsesfrom natural responses

• 天 天 tiantiannature:skynature:sky given patterns given patterns•Where? Born in the Where? Born in the 心 心 xinxinheart-heart-

mindmind

Four Beginnings Four Beginnings 端端

•TheThe 心 心 xinxinheart-mindheart-mind has four has four impulse patternsimpulse patterns

•Lead to the four classic virtuesLead to the four classic virtues

•側隱側隱 compassion compassion 仁仁benevolencebenevolence

•羞惡羞惡 shame shame 義 義 yiyimoralitymorality

•辭 讓辭 讓 deference deference 禮禮 liliritualritual

•是非是非 shi/feishi/feithis:right/not this:wrongthis:right/not this:wrong 智智zhizhiwisdomwisdom

Stories: Stories:

• Child by the well and Child by the well and 仁仁 renrenhumanityhumanity

• Problems as answer to MoziProblems as answer to Mozi• Problems as a defense of Problems as a defense of

ConfucianismConfucianism

• Strong and Weak versionsStrong and Weak versions• Weak is probably shared by Yang-Weak is probably shared by Yang-

MoMo• Strong is implausible forStrong is implausible for 禮禮 liliritualritual – –

where it is neededwhere it is needed•Mozi's influence --Mozi's influence -- 仁仁 renrenhumanityhumanity 義義yiyimoralitymorality

•Interesting problem forInteresting problem for 義義 yiyimoralitymorality

Developmental Innatism: Developmental Innatism: • Plant analogyPlant analogy

• Morality not fully known at Morality not fully known at birthbirth

• Soil = economic climateSoil = economic climate• Water + nourishment = self-Water + nourishment = self-

reflectionreflection• Valuing one’s inclinationValuing one’s inclination

• Seed = innate tendenciesSeed = innate tendencies• The spontaneous, pre-social The spontaneous, pre-social

reactionsreactions

• Sprout = beginning reactionsSprout = beginning reactions• Weeds = selfish desiresWeeds = selfish desires

• Problem of evilProblem of evil

Sagehood IdealSagehood Ideal

• Banyan tree = sagehood Banyan tree = sagehood • Universal concernUniversal concern

•Flood-likeFlood-like 浩 然之氣浩 然之氣 qiqibreathbreath

• Heart andHeart and 智智 zhizhiwisdomwisdom responsivenessresponsiveness• Language too coarse, impreciseLanguage too coarse, imprecise

• Situational Situational shi-feishi-feithis-not thisthis-not this 是 非是 非• Combine judgment and Combine judgment and

inclinationinclination• Spontaneous and natural Spontaneous and natural •氣氣 qiqibreathbreath link ? Unclear link ? Unclear

Two Principles Two Principles • Link fact & duty:Link fact & duty:

• "Is-ought": “is” does not imply "Is-ought": “is” does not imply “ought”“ought”• Undermines appeal to natureUndermines appeal to nature

• "Ought-can:" ought implies can"Ought-can:" ought implies can• Is moral reform possibleIs moral reform possible

• Can't get an 'ought' from an 'is'Can't get an 'ought' from an 'is'• Why follow the heart? Why followWhy follow the heart? Why follow 天天

tiantiannature:skynature:sky

• Distinguishing featureDistinguishing feature• Health (like finger)Health (like finger)

Mencius and DaoismMencius and Daoism• Prefers not to Prefers not to 辯 辯 bianbiandistinction disputedistinction dispute

• Doesn’t like languageDoesn’t like language• Doesn’t need language: intuitionDoesn’t need language: intuition

• Foolish man and plantsFoolish man and plants• Don’t force growth with theory Don’t force growth with theory

(language and distinctions)(language and distinctions)

Daoism: Early HistoryDaoism: Early History

• Hermits and Yang Zhu Hermits and Yang Zhu 楊朱楊朱 : : No theory ofNo theory of 道道

• First theoretical Daoist: Shen First theoretical Daoist: Shen DaoDao 慎 到慎 到• Natural performance Natural performance daodaoguideguide 道道• Sum of all actual performance Sum of all actual performance 道道

daodaoguidesguides is the great dao is the great dao 大 道大 道• You You will will followfollow 大 道—大 道— no no

knowledge ofknowledge of 道道 neededneeded