Arts & Ideas Iris Murdoch's The Sovereignty of Good
Feb 5, 2024
Bidisha, Peter Conradi, and Lucy Bolton discuss Iris Murdoch's 'The Sovereignty of Good,' exploring her views on good/evil, unconscious, sex/love, and her impact on philosophy. They delve into Murdoch's interpretations of goodness, characters, relationships, and her influence on moral lives, highlighting her unique approach to morality and philosophical insights.
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Unselfing as Moral Progress
- Iris Murdoch's 'The Sovereignty of Good' posits that we are moral pilgrims striving to improve through unselfing.
- Unselfing involves attentiveness to others, nature, and art, piercing our selfish egos to approach goodness.
Critique of Existentialism and Utilitarianism
- Murdoch criticized existentialist and utilitarian morality as too focused on observable actions and choice.
- She argued moral life is too messy for that and emphasized the importance of our inner moral visions.
Plato and Freud on Moral Vision
- Murdoch integrates Plato and Freud to explain that our will isn't free and that unconscious desires influence choices.
- Goodness is like the sun in Plato's cave allegory, a transcendent ideal we journey towards through reflection.