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Articles

Is a Philosophical Ethics Possible?

Richard Taylor explains how ethical reasoning is like travelling up an escalator, and describes the difficulties of choosing between competing systems of ethics.

I recently witnessed, from front row center, a debate between two titans: Professor Peter Singer, the most widely known and influential philosopher of this generation, who has faced threats against his life for his views on euthanasia and infanticide, vs. Father Richard John Neuhaus, eloquent defender of the conservative ethic promoted by the Roman Catholic Church. The auditorium at Colgate University, seating four hundred, was packed, with overflow in the aisles. And the question, perfectly framed to elicit a clash, was “Who shall live, and who shall die?”

Notwithstanding the explosive potential, the debate proceeded in civil tones. Of course everyone familiar with the two positions knew in general what each would say.

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