PHILOS 2D03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Practical Reason, Big Bang, Principle Of Double Effect

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHILOS 2D03
• Professor: Sikkema

Document Summary

Practical (cid:396)easo(cid:374) is o(cid:396)de(cid:396)ed to (cid:858)the good(cid:859) a(cid:374)d has a(cid:374) indemonstrable fi(cid:396)st p(cid:396)i(cid:374)(cid:272)iple: (cid:862)that good is what all things seek(cid:863) (cid:894)q94,2(cid:895) Indemonstrable first principle = basic: practical reason deliberates about actions, all actions are undertaken for the sake of an end, the end of all actions is the good (real or perceived) Practical reason is concerned with particulars, but deliberates about particulars according to universal principles of practical reason. A(cid:395)ui(cid:374)as: (cid:858)truth i(cid:374) pra(cid:272)ti(cid:272)al (cid:373)atters is the sa(cid:373)e for all hu(cid:373)a(cid:374) (cid:271)ei(cid:374)gs o(cid:374)ly regardi(cid:374)g the general principles, not regarding the particular conclusions(cid:859) (cid:894)q94,4(cid:895: the general principles of natural law are known by all human beings universally. There will exist different customs and traditions according to different practical judgments of individuals according to their particular situations: however because customs are not necessarily right simply by virtue of being practiced. We can dispute whether or not an individual or a community have reasoned well regarding the universal principles of natural law.