You're quite correct that 'right' is a very ambiguous term in most contexts. I'll avoid talking about the details, though, and give a standard answer to your main question, as to whether someone can be good without being right:
In ethics, most people think the answer is 'yes'. The most famous discussion of the matter comes from philosopher Jonathan Bennet, who brings up an example from Huckleberry Finn. At one point in the story, Huck is trying to decide whether he should turn in his friend Jim, the runaway slave. And Huck sincerely believes--because he was taught as much--that it is immoral of him not to, because Jim is someone's rightful property. But Huck just can't do it. His feelings of concern for Jim lead him to do the right thing, while thinking he is doing the wrong thing. Huck has wrong beliefs (in the sense of being immoral, and, if you think there is a fact of the matter about morality, his moral beliefs are false) and he acts contrary to what some would call his conscience, and he is a better person because he does so. While there's a sense in which he's right, and acting for the right reasons, his worldview is so thoroughly mistaken that there's really no way we can say he's right, full stop--but both he and his decision are good.
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branchandroot
Philosophical gibberish
Date: 2010-07-28 02:22 am (UTC)You're quite correct that 'right' is a very ambiguous term in most contexts. I'll avoid talking about the details, though, and give a standard answer to your main question, as to whether someone can be good without being right:
In ethics, most people think the answer is 'yes'. The most famous discussion of the matter comes from philosopher Jonathan Bennet, who brings up an example from Huckleberry Finn. At one point in the story, Huck is trying to decide whether he should turn in his friend Jim, the runaway slave. And Huck sincerely believes--because he was taught as much--that it is immoral of him not to, because Jim is someone's rightful property. But Huck just can't do it. His feelings of concern for Jim lead him to do the right thing, while thinking he is doing the wrong thing. Huck has wrong beliefs (in the sense of being immoral, and, if you think there is a fact of the matter about morality, his moral beliefs are false) and he acts contrary to what some would call his conscience, and he is a better person because he does so. While there's a sense in which he's right, and acting for the right reasons, his worldview is so thoroughly mistaken that there's really no way we can say he's right, full stop--but both he and his decision are good.