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Reid's moral psychology: animal motives as guides to virtue

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2020

Esther Kroeker
Esther Kroeker*
Affiliation:
University of Antwerp, Center for Ethics, Stadscampus, Grote Kauwenberg 18, 2000 Antwerpen
*
*Email: Esther.kroeker@uantwerpen.be
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Abstract

My aim in this paper is to show that animal motives play an important role in guiding human agents to virtue, according to Reid. Animal motives, for Reid, are constituted of desires and of their objects. These desires are intrinsic desires for objects other than moral or prudential worth. However, from a rational and moral point of view, animal motives are good and useful parts of the human constitution that lead to happiness, teach self-government, create the habit of acting virtuously, and add force to rational motives. Understanding animal motives as guides to virtue provides Reid with the hybrid sentimentalist/rationalist account he seeks to offer.

Keywords

Reidanimal motivesrational motivesdesiresvirtue
Type
Moral Theory
Information
Canadian Journal of Philosophy , Volume 41 , Issue S1: New Essays on Reid , July 2011 , pp. 122 - 141
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2011

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