What is Ethical Realism?

The following is what, in the new paradigm for Ethics, is meant by “Ethical Realism.”:

Expect the worst.

Hope for the best.

Work to make the best come to pass; work to achieve the best!

Those who know their Ethics want the next generation to have a better life than they had.

“The two most-important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you know why.”
----Mark Twain.

Note that Ethical Realism involves all three basic Dimensions of Value in R.S. Hartman’s Formal Axiology. {As you know from studying the booklet, ETHICS: A College Course, these dimensions are: I, E, and S.
See wadeharvey.myqol.com/wadeharvey/ … Course.pdf

“Hope” is defined as: Intrinsic expectation. (Intrinsic-value is abbreviated as: I-value.)

Achieving the best, or making something worthwhile come to pass is [results in] Extrinsic Value (E-value.) … and

Expectation of an outcome entails conceptualization or ideation, and this is only Systemic . (S-value.)

To indulge inn a bit of Meta-Philosophy …it seems to be the case that philosophers have a capacity to see a topic from more than one perspective.
The best “love of wisdom” shows up when one is engaged in conceptual analysis. {Note what Bertrand Russell did with the concept “Number,” or what Albert Einstein did with the concept “Relative,” or what Hartman did with the concepts “Value” and “Good."}

Bottom line: To be a realist in the field of Ethics, one hopes for the best but expects the worst; and plans, mobilizes and organizes for the best outcome. [One employs all the best techniques of project management. …and Self-management.]

What are your views?

That doesn’t sound realistic at all.

If expect “the worst” and you plan, mobilize and organize for “the best”, then you will be completely unprepared when you get “the worst”.

If you expect “the worst”, then you ought to plan, mobilize and organize for the worst.

phyllo wrote:

Think about it, phyllo.
Do you really want to work for an outcome that you believe to be the worst outcome?

Yes, it is good to be prepared to counter unethical conduct - by passing anti-corruption laws, such as Senate Bill One - or by having a good accounting team ready to notice embezzlement taking place in your enterprise.

It is wise to have a powerful diplomatic corps ready to creatively-interact with any nation that shows early signs of belligerence.
However, I don’t think being prepared, and campaigning for the best, need be mutually exclusive. We can do both at the same time.
A good administration would do both.

Let’s be realistic …while aware that we can’t anticipate everything. So while we always expect the worst - and Germany’s experience under Hitler, and how he rose to power, is a good example to keep in mind - let us work to get the good outcomes.
Let us put Ethics into practice. Let us write foundation-grant-proposals for policies that uplift people, thatt point toward a higher-quality of life for one and all.

All readers’ opinions are welcomed. What say you?

It’s not a question of what I want. Logically I have to prepare for the events that I expect. Also realistically, I have to do that.

What you describe is not realism.

Realism :
-the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly.
lexico.com/definition/realism

-a way of thinking and acting based on facts and what is possible, rather than on hopes for things that are unlikely to happen
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictio … sh/realism

Greetings, phyllo

There is much truth in what you say.
I would like, though, to call everyone’s attention to the fact that high ideals are being transformed into action, with funding provided as a back-up.

:arrow_right: A motto for the Ford Foundation that guides their work is this:

Justice begins where inequality ends.

They add this: “We’re building a world where everyone has the power to shape their lives.”

It turns out that their grants, usually less than $200,000 each, do encourage and enhance civic awareness, and help to advance education and opportunity.
They note realistically:
"We believe in the inherent dignity of all people. But around the world, too many "people are excluded from the political, economic, and social institutions that shape their lives

Across eight decades, our mission (at the Ford Foundation) has sought to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement."

This is Applied Ethics at its best!!!

This is Ethical Realism :exclamation: :exclamation:

See their website here: fordfoundation.org/about/ab … d/mission/

Comments?

@thinkdr

Generally, I would agree with the premise of Ethical Realism simply because in any system of existential appraisal there would have to be the complement of cooperative behavior, or perhaps more accurately, conduct. Without that then there would be little that could be agreed upon in terms of the values of ‘objective’, ‘absolute’, or at it’s most rudimentary, ‘form’. In other words, let’s talk about the ocean but let’s agree where the coastlines are.

The complication is where you mention, “…conceptual analysis…”. Some dispositions, especially contemporary ones, would regard that as a humorous oxymoron. For example, this forum and for that matter all forums on the internet are populated with individuals expressing their conceptual, analytic acumen. Now and then you’ll find a scented bloom but more often thorns in brambles. Of course, you find that in real life regardless of online forums.

“Those who know their Ethics want the next generation to have a better life than they had.”

Yes, because in what can often seem a relentlessly impersonal universe, posterity is about as personal as it gets.

Making a sand castle.jpg

Hi, phullo

I feel that I may have missed your point, and for that I want to apologize to you.

When the phrase “Expect the worst” was used in the original post, the intended meaning was very close to the traditional advice: “Always expect the unexpected.” Hence while we will be psychologically-prepared for the unexpected to occur, yet by the very fact that the event was unexpected, it is difficult to prepare for it.

In life, it is best not to be too focused on ‘the worst.’ I was going on the premiss that it was a more-constructive use of our time and energy to be working on bringing about the good, and in that way we might be avoiding ‘the worst.’

I hope this clears things up a bit. Some confusion may lie in the meanings we give to the vague word: “expect.” On the whole, I concur with the definitions you offered for the concept “expect.”

Let’s continue the discussion…

Do the rest of you agree that a good way – a realistic way – to avoid the worst is to be working on efforts to bring about some good outcomes based upon our highest ideals?