If we decide rightly what to do, or use a correct…
“If we decide rightly what to do, or use a correct procedure for making such decisions, that has to be because the decisions or the procedure rest on good reasons, and these reasons consist in the apprehension of truths about what we ought to do. Because these truths must constitute reasons for our decisions, and because in the rational order, reasons must always precede the decisions based on them, the truth conditions of claims about what we ought to cannot be reduced to, or constructed out of, decisions about what to do, or procedures for making such decisions.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Decisions should be based on true reasons about what we ought to do, not on the decisions themselves; reasons precede actions.
In simple terms: Good reasons guide right actions.
Key Takeaway
Base choices on truth.
Themes
ethics
reasoning
decision‑making
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- policy design
- legal judgments
- personal dilemmas
Key Concepts
philosophy
normative ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- What reasons guide your moral choices?
- How can you test a reason’s validity?
A Different Perspective
Complex to identify true reasons in practice.