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The language of morality
Author(s) -
Keen Ian
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the australian journal of anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.245
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1757-6547
pISSN - 1035-8811
DOI - 10.1111/taja.12154
Subject(s) - morality , deontic logic , interdependence , sociology , expression (computer science) , variation (astronomy) , linguistics , epistemology , character (mathematics) , moral character , philosophy , social science , computer science , mathematics , physics , geometry , astrophysics , programming language
On what linguistic resources do we draw to constitute morality? This article describes how morality is centred on evaluative discourse, and is composed of a number of analytically distinct, but interdependent discursive elements, including evaluative categories; deontic discourse; concepts of moral character, virtues and vices; the expression of emotions; the expression of norms; and patterns of moral reasoning. The ways in which such elements are expressed, brought together and embedded in institutions varies greatly both within and between cultures. The article illustrates some of this variation from a wide range of language and cultures.