Ethics as Social Conscience

Ethics as Social Conscience Book Description

Battaglia departs from the beaten paths of ethical theory by proposing that morality is social in nature, and that moral maxims and values are the result of interactive processes. (Philosophy)
ETHICS AS SOCIAL CONSCIENCE proposes an ethical theory based on social interactions. This book departs from the beaten paths of ethical theory by proposing that morality is social in nature. Moral maxims and values are the result of interactive processes, "normative networks." The acts of each member of society influence other members, positively or negatively, who may copy or suppress that behavior, thus forming a consensus, the "social conscience." People are taught the moral maxims and values implicit in social conscience because they are embedded in culture. Culture is the aggregate of beliefs, habits and rituals observed in its practitioners' behavior. By considering Ethics as a cultural artifact which regulates people's behavior, most of the anomalies of traditional ethical theories are either resolved or sidestepped. Culture evolves in a Darwinian manner, but it is also Lamarckian because of learned behavior. Cultural learning is interactive and networked, as exemplified in normative networks. Thus, individuals behave in a reasonably constrained (programmed) manner, yet societies (connections) of such individuals can arrive at new and unique solutions to ethical problems. This book should be of interest to students of Ethics, philosophy and social sciences familiar with the philosophical and scientific issues referenced.

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