Macintyre Against Modernity

With the publication of After Virtue in 1981, the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre became one of the leading critics of modern moral and political thought. MacIntyre worries that we have become atomized and fragmented, rootless individuals who need to return to traditions in order to gain moral coherence for our lives and unity for our societies. 

All sessions will be held at 12:00 PM. Lunch will be served.

Schedule

Friday, September 13 | Are some ways of life more valuable than others?

Alasdair MacIntyre on Politics, Philosophy, and the Common Good

We aim at goods in our life. These include money, status and power, but also the types of excellence that can only come from certain practices: working a fishing crew, playing football or chess, studying philosophy, etc. Traditional societies debate how to order the goods in a community’s common life, but modern ones exclude such questions of value from politics. Can we claim that some activities or ways of life are more valuable than others? Join Morningside for a conversation with Dan Addison on the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre and whether politics can direct us to certain forms of the good life.

Friday, September 20 | What kinds of speech are intolerable, and why?

Alasdair MacIntyre on the Ethics of Conversation

Communities regularly debate rival courses of action, and Americans place a high value on the freedom of speech in such debates. The philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, however, argues that we should not tolerate speech that interferes with the goal of the debate: discovering what’s good for the community as a whole. Join Morningside for a conversation with philosopher Dan Addison on what kind of speech is this, and what the limits of tolerance might be.

Friday, September 27 | How should we explain moral disagreement?

Alasdair MacIntyre on natural law and moral disagreement

Today many of our moral disagreements seem to go all the way to the most basic principles: Who counts in politics? What is justice? What are human beings? This leaves us at a loss on how to decide between rival answers to these foundational questions. Alasdair MacIntyre proposes that Thomas Aquinas’s philosophy offers the most satisfying explanation of moral disagreement and deliberation. Join Morningside for a conversation with philosopher Dan Addison on natural law and how we can begin to resolve our moral conflicts together.

Friday, October 4 | Why it is important to tell the truth?

Alasdair MacIntyre on truthfulness and lying

In an age of disinformation and fake news, Americans appear ambiguous on the importance of telling the truth. Alasdair MacIntyre suggests that Americans feel themselves subject to rival sets of norms about lying. He finds a potential path out of our “moral dualism” in John Stuart Mill’s idea of civilization as a truth-seeking community of inquiry. Join Morningside for a conversation with philosopher Dan Addison about the role that truth and lies play in society.