ABSTRACT
From a transactional perspective, morality cannot be “read” directly out of nature, but is rather the product of constructive activity. The task of discursive consciousness, as has been discussed in connection with Steiner’s view, is to refl ect on the goals we set for ourselves as both individuals and societies. Such goals, as suggested in Chapter 5, become “guiding visions” which structure our present action towards ends which we fi nd intrinsically valuable and desirable to work towards. To the extent that our actions have no consequences for others, ethics can be regarded as purely a matter of personal refl ection. To the extent that our actions have consequences for others, however, ethics is, by defi nition, no longer personal but social, and the process for constructing the norms which will govern the relations we have both with others in society and with the natural environments we collectively inhabit is primarily communicative.
