The Sovereignty of Good

Conscientization and the Cultivation of Conscience

“…It is then attached somehow to human will, a shadow clinging to a shadow. (Murdoch, 2001, p.57) Murdoch (2001) points out that Marx's concept of alienation provides an instrument for criticizing the false transcendence. Thus, it is imperative to build up a moral philosophy as the source to generate aesthetic and political views, in which the concept of love "can once again be made central" to "speak significantly of Freud and Marx" (Murdoch, 2001, p.45).…”

“…To put it simply, if a person is fettered by the material gains and bodily pleasure, it is very hard for that person to embrace the light of the spiritual world. Accordingly, Murdoch (2001) warns that it is important not to take a central good as the good. Once many a good such as freedom, happiness is taken as the good, one's attention will be shifted from spiritual thirsting for the absolute good to a particular thing or concept.…”

“…The notion of the good has been contemplated by not only dedicated experts but also ordinary people, both inside and outside religion (Murdoch, 2001). What is more, attention is paid to "not just the planning of particular good actions but an attempt to look right away from the self towards a distant transcendent perfection, a source of uncontaminated energy, a source of new and quite undreamt-of virtue" (Murdoch, 2001, p.99).…”

“…Murdoch's (2001) concept of love of the good provides a departure point for studying transcendence through love. For her, because love keeps returning surreptitiously to self-indulgence, and because true vision generates right deeds, the object of love should be fixed on the good rather than a good.…”

The Development of Moral Imagination

“…These capacities rely on finely tuned perception, which is highly affected by where one habitually places attention (Murdoch, 1989). If one's attention is captivated by perceived threat cues, then moral perception will be narrowed to what is self-protective.…”