But suppose, on the other hand, that the ship had made its voyage safely. What we have described, in other words, is not simply a failure of reason, but of ethics. On the contrary, he had a positive obligation to make certain that his beliefs were founded on sound evidence and reason, and he failed to do it. Yes, says the Victorian-era mathematician and philosopher William Kingdon Clifford: the ship owner is guilty of their deaths because even though he sincerely believed that the ship was seaworthy, he had no right to believe it. Sure enough, the ship sinks during its voyage. But on some plausible grounds or other he forms the sincere, honest conviction that his ship really is seaworthy, ignores the warning from his mechanics, and wishes the ship and passengers farewell. He is at the dock one day, bidding his ship farewell, when he remembers a warning he had received from his mechanics the week before, that the integrity of the ship’s hull was questionable and that it might not be seaworthy. Imagine a ship owner who sells tickets for transatlantic voyages. William Kingdon Clifford (1845–1879), by John Collier The Royal Society.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |