What is meant by summum bonum in Pierce's A SYSTEMATIC PRESENTATION of PIERCES ETHICS?
2006-12-18 13:18:12 · 3 answers · asked by ihaveahugecrush 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
The phrase summum bonum is Latin. It means "highest good", and is used in discussions about ethics. Philosophers have for a long time argued what 'highest good' means, and how we might know it.
The James Feibleman article (cited below) explains how Pierce used this phrase in his argument that a scientific approach could be used to identify the 'highest good' - i.e. the goal of good behaviour.
Note: Pierce himself did NOT write 'A Systematic Presentation of Peirce's Ethics'.
2006-12-22 08:12:06 · answer #1 · answered by versus 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow.... what an obscure question. of course the phrase summum bonnum means 'greatest good'. Pierce has an evolutionary ethic and he was not an absolutist.
Without trying to study it myself I think I can say that he was also an idealist and the greatest good is always thus a theoretical ideal- never achievable but logically understandable.
2006-12-20 12:46:43 · answer #2 · answered by ethicsprof 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have no clue.
2006-12-19 09:29:53 · answer #3 · answered by Misguided Rose 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋