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Natural Law and the Ethics of Discourse
Author(s) -
Finnis John
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
ratio juris
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.344
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 1467-9337
pISSN - 0952-1917
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9337.00130
Subject(s) - metaphysics , epistemology , discourse ethics , morality , modernity , philosophy , action (physics) , communicative action , natural law , kantian ethics , natural (archaeology) , sociology , physics , quantum mechanics , archaeology , history
This essay argues that Plato's critical analysis of the ethics of discourse is superior to Habermas', and more generally that Habermas has no sufficient reason to propose or suppose the philosophical superiority of “modernity.” The failure of Hume and Kant and much modern philosophy to understand the concept and content of reasons for action underlies Habermas' attempted distinction between ethics and morality, and Rawls' concept of public reason. A proper study of discourse also yields a metaphysics of the person, and thus reinforces the ethics.