Synthesizing the metaethical aspects of George Lakoff’s conception of Strict Father Morality(SFM)and Divine Command Theory(DCT)helps us to have a better understanding of the Trump phenomenon,US President Trump regula...Synthesizing the metaethical aspects of George Lakoff’s conception of Strict Father Morality(SFM)and Divine Command Theory(DCT)helps us to have a better understanding of the Trump phenomenon,US President Trump regularly deviating from accepted facts and his supporters having no problem with this practice.We misunderstand the situation if we presume that Trump5s mendacity and his supporters,credulity fully account for this situation.More specifically,I argue that the authoritarian thread that runs through SFM/DCT provides Trump with the justification,in his view as well as in the eyes of his supporters,to dictate the meaning of key concepts,for example,truth,fairness,and justice.As a result,when Trump says something that seems plainly false,I argue that we better understand the situation if we regard Trump as taking himself to be defining what the term in question means.This situation has far-reaching ramifications,from destabilizing the meaning of key moral terms to all issues becoming partisan issues to the loss of expertise.展开更多
Recently, economists have rediscovered the fact of the cultural embeddedness of institutions. This raises the question whether there are transcultural universals of institutions and institutional design. The paper pro...Recently, economists have rediscovered the fact of the cultural embeddedness of institutions. This raises the question whether there are transcultural universals of institutions and institutional design. The paper proposes that such universals cannot possibly be empirical givens, but have to be continuously created through transcultural discourse. I take a first step by putting family resemblances in the moral and social philosophy of Adam Smith and the Confucians into the context of the evolution of Western culture and economics. The tour d＇horizon starts with the thesis that the biased perception of Smith（ neglecting the moral philosopher） in economics mirrors its cultural embeddedness into what sociologist Norbert Elias has called the ＂homo clausus＂ construct in Western societies. I continue with a survey of most recent research in behavioural, institutional, and evolutionary economics which clearly prove the fallacies of the ＂homo clausus＂ assumptions of individual autonomy. This explains the recent revival of interest in the ＂Theory of Moral Sentiments＂ on part of economists. Indeed, many Smithian insights can be supported by the recent advances in economic research. One fascinating implication is that opening up a transcultural discourse between Western and Eastern moral philosophy might show the way towards a transcultural foundation of institutions. A number of ＂family resemblances＂ between Smith and Confucius are presented. I conclude by highlighting some contentious issues between China and the West in the global economy, where the transition to a moral economy with Smithian and Confucian foundations might help to find workable solutions.展开更多
文摘Synthesizing the metaethical aspects of George Lakoff’s conception of Strict Father Morality(SFM)and Divine Command Theory(DCT)helps us to have a better understanding of the Trump phenomenon,US President Trump regularly deviating from accepted facts and his supporters having no problem with this practice.We misunderstand the situation if we presume that Trump5s mendacity and his supporters,credulity fully account for this situation.More specifically,I argue that the authoritarian thread that runs through SFM/DCT provides Trump with the justification,in his view as well as in the eyes of his supporters,to dictate the meaning of key concepts,for example,truth,fairness,and justice.As a result,when Trump says something that seems plainly false,I argue that we better understand the situation if we regard Trump as taking himself to be defining what the term in question means.This situation has far-reaching ramifications,from destabilizing the meaning of key moral terms to all issues becoming partisan issues to the loss of expertise.
文摘Recently, economists have rediscovered the fact of the cultural embeddedness of institutions. This raises the question whether there are transcultural universals of institutions and institutional design. The paper proposes that such universals cannot possibly be empirical givens, but have to be continuously created through transcultural discourse. I take a first step by putting family resemblances in the moral and social philosophy of Adam Smith and the Confucians into the context of the evolution of Western culture and economics. The tour d＇horizon starts with the thesis that the biased perception of Smith（ neglecting the moral philosopher） in economics mirrors its cultural embeddedness into what sociologist Norbert Elias has called the ＂homo clausus＂ construct in Western societies. I continue with a survey of most recent research in behavioural, institutional, and evolutionary economics which clearly prove the fallacies of the ＂homo clausus＂ assumptions of individual autonomy. This explains the recent revival of interest in the ＂Theory of Moral Sentiments＂ on part of economists. Indeed, many Smithian insights can be supported by the recent advances in economic research. One fascinating implication is that opening up a transcultural discourse between Western and Eastern moral philosophy might show the way towards a transcultural foundation of institutions. A number of ＂family resemblances＂ between Smith and Confucius are presented. I conclude by highlighting some contentious issues between China and the West in the global economy, where the transition to a moral economy with Smithian and Confucian foundations might help to find workable solutions.
