The historically prevalent tendency of moral systems to internalize the moral authority has led the various moral systems to attribute obligations to act in a certain way to factors directly ascribable and intrinsic to the act in question, rather than attributing this obligation to factors extrinsic to the act, as for example, the existence of a positive normative authority commanding one act or another.100 According to Hägerström, the idea that an act is obligatory on account of its intrinsic characteristics is false, as any such idea lacks any: “… consciousness of objectivity whatsoever.”101 Accordingly, moral ideas are not objective, but merely subjective, and thus the moral idea lacks intrinsic truth value, both in the normal sense of the word and in the narrower sense of the word necessary for the validation of an objectivistic moral theory. The sense of duty or obligation is a feeling, a feeling that is invariably connected to the performance or non-performance of an act. If one follows Hägerström’s line of argumentation, a sense of duty or obligation is imperative as a motivator for the actual performance of an act considered to be a duty.Want of moral interest will provide an ensuing want of motivation to act, whereby no sense of duty or obligation will arise or exist for that matter. Since values and duties are intimately connected to one another, it is safe to argue that a vested interest is the essential factor for the emergence and existence of duties: No interest, no values, no duties.Without felt interests it is only possible to establish facts, but impossible to establish values and valuations. In fact, values and valuations are only possible to establish if the moral subject has an actual vested interest in an approaching, p a r t i v, c h a p t e r 3 274 100 Cf. Hägerström,“Moraliska föreställningar,” pp. 39-41;“Moral Propositions,” pp. 8789. 101 Hägerström,“Moraliska föreställningar,” p. 41;“Moral Propositions,” p. 88. Swedish: “[Ty det låter sig direkt visa, att i själva föreställningen om ett böra, om ett handlande såsom i högsta grad värdefullt alls icke ligger] något medvetande om objektivitet.” 3. 5 duty and obl igat ion - fe e l ings
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