In my view, the problem isn’t inherent in discussion of ethics, it’s just that many notions of ethics (particularly in social interaction) are just hypocritical and wrong from the start. Basically, people’s conventional ideas about “self”, “authenticity”, and “manipulation” are largely an ephemeral slave morality. (Sorry if I’m giving anyone inferential distance shock, but I’ve outlined this position in the past here in massively long comments that I’m too lazy to dig up.)
The problem with throwing out the ethical baby with the bathwater is that then it’s hard to get help optimizing your self-improvement according to a particular vision of ethics.
In my view, the problem isn’t inherent in discussion of ethics, it’s just that many notions of ethics (particularly in social interaction) are just hypocritical and wrong from the start.
I agree with you here and also note that what I am wary of is not environments in which ethical discussions take place but rather environments in which discussions pertaining simple instrumental or epistemic considerations are systematically diverted by ethical discussion or moral proscription. That is, it is what is lost and the implied introduction of bias into what remains that is the problem.
In my view, the problem isn’t inherent in discussion of ethics, it’s just that many notions of ethics (particularly in social interaction) are just hypocritical and wrong from the start. Basically, people’s conventional ideas about “self”, “authenticity”, and “manipulation” are largely an ephemeral slave morality. (Sorry if I’m giving anyone inferential distance shock, but I’ve outlined this position in the past here in massively long comments that I’m too lazy to dig up.)
The problem with throwing out the ethical baby with the bathwater is that then it’s hard to get help optimizing your self-improvement according to a particular vision of ethics.
I agree with you here and also note that what I am wary of is not environments in which ethical discussions take place but rather environments in which discussions pertaining simple instrumental or epistemic considerations are systematically diverted by ethical discussion or moral proscription. That is, it is what is lost and the implied introduction of bias into what remains that is the problem.