Logik wrote: ↑Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:48 am
Veritas Aequitas wrote: ↑Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:45 am
I have listed the relevant principles re 'IS-OUGHT.'
To discuss whether they work or not we have to shift the the Philosophy of Morality and Ethics. Are you knowledgeable in the Philosophy of Morality and Ethics?
Kant's categorical imperatives are absolute oughts but they are only to be used as guides only and are not to be enforceable. They are most suitable to tackle complex and diverse moral issues.
Consequentialism and the Casuistry [trolley] approach are not realistic as one cannot lay out all the possible scenarios one will encounter in life. What is needed are principles in 'teaching one how to fish' in relation to morality and ethics.
It doesn't matter whether an "ought" is absolute or not, or whether something works or not because we have the principle of equifinality.
So even IF I want what you want, we still need to agree that we want to get to our destination via the same route, or even in the same car!
Maybe I like my way better. Because - pride. Or because - I don't want to work with Islamophobes. Why? I don't need a reason!
My point in all of this: arguing (really: persuasion) only works on people who don't know what they want and don't know how to get it.
Because the is-ought gap cannot be bridged except with desire.
The CRITICAL issue with is-ought cannot be about 'bridging'.
It is something like you cannot bridge a square with a circle.
The CRITICAL issue with is-ought is also not about "I" and one's desire.
We can apply 'ought' to any human activity.
If I state, "you ought to breathe" do you have a choice in this case?
The main philosophical issue re is-ought is empiricism versus rationalism.
The point is, "is" is always parallel to "ought" and both will never ever be bridged.
According to Hume, despite the evidence there is no
cause and effect as an ought in reality [is] but merely psychology of habits, customs from constant conjunctions.
What is significant with philosophy is how we can get the best out of the issue in real practical life. The practical utility of this is for 'ought' to be a guide [as a standard] to "is" and this is notably in the Philosophy of Morality. 'Ought' can also be applied as a guide to "is" in other aspect of life. This is complementarity.
The question of ought within morality is the justification why an ought [absolute]
ought to be the universal ought. I am not going into details on this.
In other aspects we can use 'ought' in this example.
A hospital may establish the following vision;
"
We ought to achieve Zero death due to negligence"
With such an ought, the hospital will have to establish a set up that can achieve the above 'ought'.
However in practice there is no guarantee 'what is' will be 'ought' because of infallible human nature, some negligence will likely happen, i.e. "is" will never be "ought".
What is positive in this case is the hospital has used the idea of 'ought' to strive towards the impossible ideal thereby achieving the optimal.