Hayward’s paper and understanding how he developed his idea, I have two concerns that I would like to highlight. Mr. Hayward pointed out that if our current ethical beliefs were already true, then any further investigation would seem to be “a waste of time.” (p.8) It also has the effect of “corrupting the youth” by making them lose confidence in their current ethical beliefs. (p.8) However, there are philosophers that would think otherwise. John Stuart Mill believed that even if we have derived ethical truths, there will be people who are unaware of the truths or believe that the truth is false. Thus, we should continue to discuss them and prove their certainty. If an ethical truth is not, as Mill stated, “fully, frequently, and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth.”(Mill, 1859, p.34) In this case, ethical investigation will actually make us more confident about our ethical beliefs because we are constantly proving the ethical truths against the unethical views. And finally, as I reflect on the debates that I have with my friend, the idea of ethical convergence worries me. After numerous discussions, it seems very difficult for my friend and me to even slightly influence each other. Although I really like the idea of ethical convergence, I am afraid that we will never reach it. So my question is: how can I ever take a viewpoint seriously if it does not have any effect on my own beliefs? And what can I do to facilitate convergence between my friend and me? Thank
Hayward’s paper and understanding how he developed his idea, I have two concerns that I would like to highlight. Mr. Hayward pointed out that if our current ethical beliefs were already true, then any further investigation would seem to be “a waste of time.” (p.8) It also has the effect of “corrupting the youth” by making them lose confidence in their current ethical beliefs. (p.8) However, there are philosophers that would think otherwise. John Stuart Mill believed that even if we have derived ethical truths, there will be people who are unaware of the truths or believe that the truth is false. Thus, we should continue to discuss them and prove their certainty. If an ethical truth is not, as Mill stated, “fully, frequently, and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth.”(Mill, 1859, p.34) In this case, ethical investigation will actually make us more confident about our ethical beliefs because we are constantly proving the ethical truths against the unethical views. And finally, as I reflect on the debates that I have with my friend, the idea of ethical convergence worries me. After numerous discussions, it seems very difficult for my friend and me to even slightly influence each other. Although I really like the idea of ethical convergence, I am afraid that we will never reach it. So my question is: how can I ever take a viewpoint seriously if it does not have any effect on my own beliefs? And what can I do to facilitate convergence between my friend and me? Thank