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I'm not
sure there is a way to avoid what you are calling the scientific
model without sacrificing rationality itself.
Maybe I'm wrong here. I really don't know. But consider this:
Suppose A says that killing person X is morally wrong. What's to
prevent B from asking why it is morally wrong to kill X. Now A is
being pushed to give some sort of reason that covers the case of X.
Let's suppose A says "Because B is innocent of all wrong doing,
and it's wrong to kill an innocent person." Now B may raise
difficult cases. What about a case in which it is only by
killing a few innocent people that we can save a large number of
other innocent people. Is it still wrong. Now A will try to
formulate some answer. Perhaps he will try to carefully distinguish
different classes of cases. Or perhaps he will try to develop a
theory of rights in order to defend his position. My point is that
as soon as we allow open questioning about our moral judgments, we
are inevitably pushed toward generalizations and theory building.
I don’t see how generalizations and theory
building can be avoided unless we simply shut down discussion. But
shutting down discussion is one way of sacrificing rationality itself. But
that's what you're asking for, isn't
it?
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