The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent

John Erskine
18 pages (2007/1921); 143KB download
WOWIO Books; ISBN: WOWIO-00303

DESCRIPTION

This essay argues that it is a moral obligation to strive to be as intelligent as possible. Evaluation of moral behavior includes to what degree one's actions are guided by one's intelligence -- good intentions are no substitute for analysis of every reasonable option to do the correct thing.

Erskine notes humans need to realize that "an action can intelligently be called good only if it contributes to a good end; that it is the moral obligation of an intelligent creature to find out as far as possible whether a given action leads to a good or a bad end; and that any system of ethics that excuses him from that obligation is vicious."