Greetings you lot, especially those familiar with the Cliff vs James ruckus.
I have found W.K. Clifford’s ‘An Ethics of Belief’ a dandy ideal, but too neglectful of the ‘passional nature’ of man (who is sometimes faced with a genuine option but limited by the need-for-speed ‘real time’ dangers of suspending belief).
But turning to W. James, as you probably guess, opens that can-of-worms of potential privitisation of belief and consequent relativism.
There are, though, shared failings and shared merits of both proposals.
I am attempting to formulate a bridging Ethics, that is sensitive to our inescapable ‘passional’ psychology AND directed at upholding a common concept of truth.
Do any of you know previously published efforts to bridge the theses? Any names of philosophers or works that I might hunt down?
Regards, The Vegetable Man (donning a ‘NEW - DON’T EAT ME SIGN’ round his jugular)