Original scientific paper

Community, Tradition and the Ethics of Virtues

Elvio BACCARINI

Abstract

MacIntyre maintains that contemporary morality is in a state
of great crisis due to the moral philosophy of Enlightenment.
In the age of Enlightenment there was an attempt to
establish a rational justification of morality without referring
to the telos of human beings. This attempt produced
inconsistencies, because the enlighteners accepted moral
beliefs inherited from tradition. However, those moral beliefs
were adapted not to human nature as it was, but as it
should have been. The most important consequence of
Enlightenment is liberalism. MacIntyre criticizes liberalism as
an inconsistent theory which on the one hand wants to
establish universal beliefs which are valid without referring to
tradition, and yet is itself transformed into tradition. In
contrast to liberalism, MacIntyre suggests the return of the
Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition. However, such an attempt
has not been successful. His proposition does not succeed in
explaining why it should be considered authentic. He cannot
guarantee that his theory can provide sufficient criteria for
making a choice between conflicting theories, nor give clear
answers within certain traditions.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

20713

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/20713

Publication date:

1.1.1998.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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