The philosopher Iris Murdoch argued that moral attention — sustained accurate perception of other people — was itself a form of moral activity, prior to and shaping the choices conventionally identified as moral acts. By the time an agent faces a discrete decision, she suggested, the relevant features of the situation have largely been determined by the patterns of attention the agent has cultivated over time.
Which conclusion most logically follows from Murdoch's view as presented?
- Acheck_circle
What an agent perceives in a situation may itself be subject to moral assessment
- B
Moral activity ends when an explicit choice is made
- C
Patterns of attention have no bearing on moral conduct
- D
Moral evaluation should focus exclusively on discrete choices isolated from prior perception
Explanation
If perception shapes the discrete decision and is itself moral activity, perception is morally evaluable, supporting B. A, C, D contradict the view.