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> Ethicists behave no more ethically than the average person[1], which strongly suggests that the entire field is worthless. I don't see how that follows. We d
by StavrosK 6y ago
> Ethicists behave no more ethically than the average person[1], which strongly suggests that the entire field is worthless.
I don't see how that follows. We don't expect our ethicists to behave more ethically any more than we expect our aeronautics engineers to fly.
- graeme 6y agoBut aeronautics engineers can’t fly. However all humans possess the capacity to behave ethically. We do generally expect a teacher to be able to explain a concept outside of their job, a writer to write a good note or letter, a photographer to take a good photograph when out casually with friends and family. Similarly we’d want people making moral judgement to demonstrate that capacity.
- StavrosK 6y agoEthicists study ethics. Per your example, I would expect an ethicist to be able to study ethics very well. You don't expect a teacher to know everything, or a writer to always speak with perfect eloquence, or a photographer to always take great photos. I don't understand why someone who studies ethics should behave better, any more than someone who studies the human musculature to be able to lift more weight.
- throwaway3699 6y agoYou expect some correlation. Even 5%.
- celticninja 6y agoBut surely all you could expect is that they consider the ethics of the situation. Not that they always choose the the most ethically correct outcome. After all a writer might just need a shopping list, not a sonnet.