Autor: Lonergan, Bernard J.F.

Buch: A Second Collection

Titel: A Second Collection

Stichwort: Symbol: Lonergan - Ricoeur; Gefühl; Wert: transzendentale Notion; Gewissen - Werturteil; Aristoteles, der tugendhafte Mensch

Kurzinhalt: The symbol for me is the 'affect-laden image.' It's evoked by an affect, or the image evokes the affect. They're linked. It's the means of internal communication between psyche and mind and heart.

Textausschnitt: Regarding Symbols and Ricoeur on Symbolism:

220c "Well, I can't match Ricoeur on symbolism. The symbol for me is the 'affect-laden image.' It's evoked by an affect, or the image evokes the affect. They're linked. It's the means of internal communication between psyche and mind and heart. Where mind is experience, understanding, judgment; and heart is what's beyond this on the level of feeling and 'is this worthwhile?'-judgment of value, decision. Without feelings this experience, understanding, judgment is paper-thin. The whole mass and momentum of living is in feeling. (Fs)

221a "Feelings: there's a whole series of categories on them-to go into them would take too long. You get them in Scheler, and then von Hildebrand, in his Christian Ethics, distinguishing different kinds-different meanings of the word 'feeling,' different types. But there are feelings that are apprehensions of value in a strict sense. There are vital values. Then social values- the vital values of the group. Then cultural values-'not in bread alone does man live.' There's the personal realization, incorporation of values, religious values, the personal appropriation of values, the development of one's feelings, the education of feeling. This is all on the level of the apprehension of values. (Fs)

221b "Beyond that there's the transcendental notion of values, in the question for deliberation-'Is this worthwhile? or are we wasting our time?' It stops you-and in the judgment of value in answer to that question. This demands not only these feelings-if you just have these feelings, well, you have a moral idealism that usually does more harm than good-you have to have also an apprehension of human reality, and possibility, and what probably will happen from different courses of action. (Fs)

221c "For your judgment of values, for the objectivity of a judgment of value, the criterion is the good conscience of the virtuous man. You're not sure of your moral judgments unless you're sure you're a virtuous man! It's very Aristotelian, incidentally. Aristotle made ethics empirical by postulating the existence of virtuous men. (Fs) (notabene)