Verbatim quote · defining passage

“When we moralize, we want the imperatives we follow or issue to be backed by the currency of indicatives—as the imperatives in the Decalogue need the backing of "I am the Lord thy God..." This is because morality is a system of imperatives, and a system of imperatives requires something other than an imperative to provide articulation—indicatives embed the imperatives in a shared reality, perhaps, especially, a commanded reality.”

— Adam Katz, Another Version of "Idioms of Inquiry" Despite the Changed Title (Adam Katz) · Aug 2009 · Essays & Articles