Morning Meditation

Home › Philosophy & Existential Thought › June 03, 2026

June 03, 2026

The love which brings the right answer is an exercise of justice and realism and really looking.

Murdoch wrote this in the late 1960s, during a period when moral philosophy had become dominated by abstract theories about rules and utility. She was pushing back against that — arguing that good action starts not with principles but with attention, with the discipline of actually seeing other people clearly. For gratitude, this cuts straight to the point: we are not grateful for abstractions. We are grateful when we stop and look at a specific person or thing long enough to register what it actually is.

Reflection

Murdoch believed that attention — not intention — is the foundation of moral life. Who is one person in your life you have not looked at carefully in a long time?

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