Minimalism with a vengeance

Pieter Pekelharing

pp. 217-221

in: Jozef Keulartz, Michiel Korthals, Maartje Schermer, Tsjalling Swierstra (eds), Pragmatist ethics for a technological culture, Berlin, Springer, 2002

Abstract

I heartily agree with the main thrust of Paul Thompson's essay. Like him I believe it is important to see how bioethical issues can be dealt with by developing a pragmatist form of discourse ethics, in which more attention is paid to the notion of experience. Here I would like to elaborate on his claim that pragmatic discourse does not re-establish "Moralität" over "Sittlichkeit" and, correspondingly, his claim that Habermas puts the defense of rationality in the wrong place I think Thompson is right and will try to explain why.

Cited authors

Habermas Jürgen

Thompson Paul