[Lecture One] Judging, Feeling and Not Being Moralistic
by Dr. Leonard Peikoff
Total Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Course summary: This two-lecture mini-course features a discussion of how to apply the process of evaluative judgment in difficult practical cases. Dr. Peikoff examines both how one can judge without being too quick to condemn and how one can avoid being too reluctant to pronounce judgment. He also reviews the role of emotions in judgment as well as an exhaustive discussion of the nature of evil. Read more »
In this lecture: This lecture reviews the problem of how to judge people morally without being overly condemnatory or forgiving. Dr. Peikoff examines the range of negative traits, including bad, immoral, vicious, wicked, and evil. Peikoff contrasts two examples from a student paper to concretize the question of how to apply proper judgment. He indicates the crucial reality-oriented process of gathering evidence and moving to a conclusion of moral judgment.
Study Guide
This material is designed to help you digest the lecture content. You can also download below a PDF study guide for the entire course.
| What are the two errors most common to moral judgment? |
| What is the problem of judging ordinary people in terms of bad character? |
| What are the five major distinctions in English that indicate a departure from goodness? |
| What does the evaluative term “bad” mean? |
| What does “immoral” add to the judgment that something is not good? |
| Describe the difference between an action that is immoral and a person who is? |
| What is captured by the descriptor “vicious”? |
| What is added by the concept “wicked”? |
| Why does Objectivism agree with Socrates that you cannot willfully do evil if you know the good? |
| What is the difference between vicious and wicked? |
| What is added by the designation “evil”? |
| How do you account for context in making moral judgment? |
| What are the intellectual and material issues in judging morality? |
| Does holding an evil idea mean a man is himself evil per se? |
| How should one treat a person’s romantic choice when making a judgment? |