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Articles

The Unbearable Lightness of Ethics

Stephen Anderson wonders whether talk of ethics has any substance.

When we were children we learned very early how to play a frustrating game of contradiction with our parents. We quickly figured out that an unremitting response of “But why?” or a relentless succession of questions about reasons could confound parental logic for everything:

“Eat your vegetables.”
“Why?”
“Sit up straight.”
“Why?”
“Go to bed.”
“But why?”

Mother soon came up with the only response that could ultimately shut us down: “Because I said so.

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