ETHICAL MINIMALISM OF TADEUSZ KOTARBINSKI

• Authors: Brozek A. , Jadacki J. J.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The article presents a schematic reconstruction of Tadeusz Kotarbinski's ethical views. An analysis of Kotarbinski's ethical writings (which, unfortunately, are far from the ideal of precision) shows that the following theses constitute his ethical system. The basic negative moral norm is 'You should do wrong to nobody beyond necessary need', and the basic positive norm is 'You should do good to somebody'. Thus Kotarbinski's ethics can be called 'local altruism'. For Kotarbinski the main virtue is protectiveness and for this reason his system is called 'the ethics of a reliable guardian'. The reliable guardian's goal should be prevention and elimination of unhappiness; thus Kotarbinski's ethical system can be called 'ethical minimalism'. Ethical norms are justified by induction supplemented by moral intuition. First, we recognize intuitively acts which are evidently good and those which are evidently evil; next, we abstract from them the essence of the honorable and of the dishonorable. Kotarbinski's ethical system was intended to be independent from philosophical and religious doctrines, however, it's content is very close to the evangelical ethics.

Keywords

EN

ETHICS OF RELIABLE GUARDIAN; MORAL INTUITION; POLISH PHILOSOPHY (20TH C.)

Discipline

• PHILOSOPHY: PHILOSOPHY

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences and Warsaw University, Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology. Since 2007 - Warsaw University, Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology
• Journal: Etyka (Ethics)
• Year: 2006
• Issue: 39
• Pages: 48-71
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Brozek A.

author

Jadacki J. J.

• A. Brozek, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Wydzial Filozofii i Socjologii, Instytut Filozofii, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 3, 00-047 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

08PLAAAA04428549