In philosophy we are familiar with
two characters, the critical thinker and the moral agent. The critical
thinker develops in our theories of knowledge: how do we gain knowledge
and how do we check it? The moral agent develops in our theories
of responsibility: who is responsible and how responsible? While
in the current philosophical curriculum these characters are often treated
separately, in our living they overlap. In this paper we will explore
one locus where the moral agent is bonded to the critical thinker: in appreciating
a situation.
From neighborhood disputes to robbery and
riots, from relatively minor delays to natural catastrophes, at home, at
work, among friends and among strangers we find ourselves in situations
and, depending on the situation, we may be morally blameworthy if we fail
to assess it adequately. What goes into this critical assessment
of situations? How do we learn to do it? In this paper I begin
with J.L. Austin’s hints about appreciating a situation, and by filling
out these hints and linking them to other experiences, particularly to
experiences in community mediation, I shall develop a set of dimensions
for critically and responsibly thinking about situations.