On The Horizon Of Morslity

Morality, a knowledge of "knowing how", is internalized in action. There is no definition of it. This thesis is going to elucidate morality in a new vision to reveal its horizon. It includes three parts.There are two chapters in the first part. They are trying to introduce methods and domain of discourse. Chapter1is on methodology. This thesis insists that there are two philosophy thinking modes-conception and horizon. As a thinking mode, conception ponders questions within the framework of objectivity and subjectivity. It has features such as objectification, static, commonality and reflection, which made it a non-continual, immobilized and abstract thinking mode. Therefore, conception is unable to deal with an object like morality. Nowadays, what’s more, science form of conceptual thinking contributes to the state of alienation of human beings. However, the theory of horizon proposes a new way to morality. Heidegger, with the influence of Husserl’s intentionality structure consciousness and Kant’s transcendental imagination, raised the method of formale anzeige, which led to the ultimate thinking meaning of condition before the conceptualized thought. That is a horizon which is the most original and basic state of lives, before subjective and objective bodies. Fundamentally, it is maintained by three Dimension tenses-the past, the present and the future. It includes three features:no difference between subject and object, constructive meaning of its own and hermeneutics of words. The existence of horizon can also be found in the tacit knowledge of Polanyi. Chapter2is about domain of discourse. It is aimed to point out the inseparability of morality and ethics in horizon, and to determine the premise of discussing morality. Historically, morality and ethics, both about the habitation, is the same thing in ancient Greek. With the rise of reason, moral, as a subjective consciousness, has been separated from ethic. Kant had completed the shift of ethic to morality, and constructed a complete system of moral philosophy. Hegel is the first one to systematically distinguished ethic and morality. There are, currently, three relationship between ethics and morality, they are:conformity, separation and dialectical relation. The conformity of morality and ethic cannot tell the different usage of them. And the separation of them shows as the reinforcement of moral and the weakness of ethic. Therefore, modern moral philosophy is the expansion of the individual reason, and has separated the explanation or understanding of modern ethics from the original meaning of "morality" and "ethic". Hegel’s dialectics believes that individuals and entities would possess the direct identity and authenticity by means of spiritual link. However, his unity in the absolute idea is the outcome of binary thinking. Even the newest value ecology and the discourse ethics of Habermas couldn’t help to unite them. The theory of horizon believes that morality and ethic are united in the original horizon which cannot be separated.The second part includes Chapter3to Chapter6. This part is going to break the theory. That is a moral construction which is going to criticize the representative conceptual thinking mode in the theory of horizon. Its logic thinking of discussing is with the inner development process, namely using the principle of correspondence of history and logic, in the moral exploration. First of all is epistemology domain. In chapter three, the thesis will criticize two representative view of moral epistemology: moral realism and virtue ethics. In order to find the foundation of morality, moral realism pursues the reality and standard of morality by using the infinite convergence method, which led to the moral nihilism. That conflicts with its aim of moral clarity. While the Virtue Ethics, in order to pursue a broader foundation for morality, turns to inner virtue of human beings to explore morality. Still, that came out another problem of moral standards. These two explorations of morality, which are both in the dilemma of epistemology, veil our real moral lives. In chapter four, the moral practice field, it discusses about the moral behavior, which includes deontology of Kant and utilitarianism. In Kant’s opinion, morality, as a construction of practical reason, has nothing to do with perceptual experience. Though it uncovered the superiority of morality, it led us to think only from human’s rationality without openness and diversity. Therefore, inevitably, it was inappropriate. Utilitarianism, in the field of practice, advocated the pursuit of maximization of the social utility as a standard of moral evaluation. However, this moral behavior, within the thinking mode of concept of subject and object, confronts with the inability of self-consistent and the breakage between person and society. In the practical field, therefore, the rule of behavior, whatever from reason or from perception, is unable to be self-consistent, because moral imperative is indivisible with human conditions rather than a product of concept thinking. Confronted with these troubles, the clarification and analysis of moral language arises at the historic moment. They believe that the confusion of morality is based on unclear phrase, to which should draw much more attention. In chapter five, according to the analysis of Harman to moral ought, the thesis will analyze, in the view of Analytic philosophy, the deficiency of moral. Based on British empiricism, Harman distinguished the "ought". He indicated the characteristics of moral "ought", discussed the relationship of moral ought, reasons and reason, and pointed out the opinion that moral is the convention of social compromise, and the social attribute of morality as well. That, undoubtedly, is a progress Compared with the opinion which considers moral as a form or a standard. It reflects human beings, in modern society, would like to weaken the moral request and strengthen the moral situation. However, his theory of moral convention, based on the analysis of Moral Ought, exists some problems like loosing extensional ductility, ignoring the ideal dimension of morality and the duty of morality. Besides, it will, due to the interest of logic analysis, lost the real meaning of phrases, and confuse in concepts. Therefore, the above three moral constructions are going further, due to the latent defect of immobilized of conceptual thinking, to the real lives, which cannot provide people the behavior guidelines in the complicated society. In order to get rid of the dilemma, Fletcher pointed out his situation ethics. This ethical thought will be discussed in chapter six. The slogan "situation decides the truth" of Fletcher believes every moral choice should base on truth. That is a helpful practice for morality returns to lives. Its interactive mode of subject and object, which based on pragmatism and relativism, seems to have solved the problems, while there exists inner conflicts everywhere. In one word, as long as we explore morality in the conceptual thinking mode, we will fall into the conceptual presumption and far away from real morality. Therefore, we should shift our thinking mode to pursue a new breakthrough.The third part includes Chapter7and Chapter8, try to make the point and discuss the application. In chapter7, the thesis will positively introduce the new outlet--theory of moral horizon. Moral is made up at horizon. It cannot be explained by moral concept, nor the subjective and objective thoughts. It is an open reticular structure and a state before the departure of subject and object. The theory owns its fundamentally inner structure; it is an association of three dimensions. Diffused from that association, the original moral horizon, before the moral conceptualization, is formed. Firstly, it back to the moral archetype. The existence of the Dasein is rooted on historical ontology. That’s how Jung, with the influence of hermeneutic, suggested an idea of tracing back collective unconsciousness and archetype. However, self, as the archetype, possesses effect of constitutive condition on integration of germinal. It integrates the persona and shadow to construct overall morality. Therefore, a harmonious horizon between human beings and nature is formed.Secondly, it discusses the original ethic of being-in-the-world. Ethics ponder deeply over inhabitation of people. The inhabitation of Dasein is a kind of edge structure and a "to be" of continuous structure between human and the world, rather than any other ready-made. Furthermore, the authentic existence of human is a constantly generated edge structural horizon among the sky, the earth, the gods and the people. That open edge structure is inhabitation of people which is what it is and the original ethic of current dimension.At last, it’s about the conscience, which towards the future, of born to die. Heidegger had a deep discussion on that. Dasein, which is easy to be merge into "they" and falling into everyday life, is made up by edge structure. However, it is in a situation towards death. In that situation, Dasein awaken its potentiality-for-being. The witness of potentiality-for-being is conscience. With the call of the conscience, Dasein is departure from normal and potentiality-for-bing is summoned for appearance. Actually, daily concept of conscience is based on that.Therefore, in a word, we construct an original moral horizon:the past moral archetype has developed to now according to self integrating; and the edge construction of Dasein highlights the freedom of inhabitation and affect the Dasein as the past. Dasein which has the born to death raises the conscience of potentiality-for-Being, while the conscience shows the Poetic Habitation of Dasein. According to these twists and turns, the three dimensions of past, present and future have constructed the original moral horizon, which is with three combinations, keeping open, generated and spindled in now. The other moral rules and laws are all based on that.Chapter8, the last chapter, is the applied part, on which will discuss the enlightenment of moral horizon to our lives. On one side, Xing of moral horizon tells us that moral education need to instill. On the other side, it is important to pay much attention to the harmonious coexistence between human and nature. Besides, we need both to pay attention to the tradition and keep in touch with it. That is the enlightenment form moral horizon to our moral construction.According to the analysis above, in the conclusion, we know that morality is a life horizon that deserves to be pursued. While its connection with reality is the function of Xing, the restrain of moral to reality is weak and it’s impotent in reality. Therefore, it is urgent for us to strengthen the construction of laws.