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Ordinary citizens spend a lot of time in what I call 'ethical labour'. We identify a moral dilemma in our own lives, or the lives of celebrities or politicians, and then we work on the task of assessing it. We may have an initial reaction, but labouring on the dilemma may unearth new information and lead to a change in view. We may discuss it with friends or seek a story that helps us decide. We may search for the place of moral equilibrium where we feel content in our final decision about what to do. We put in different amounts of ethical labor to each dilemma, depending on a variety of factors, and some topics barely wake us up, so we invest little time, effort or sweat over them. Even when our opponent arrives at a conclusion that we deem to be an error, we can still recognise that they have laboured to reach this spot. Finally, I note that efforts to justify our position after it has already been settled (what Jonathan Haidt refers to as the press secretary or elephant rider) political labour, rather than ethical labour.
So I call this stuff 'ethical labour' - but what do philosopher's call it? Can anyone please point me to some literature that discusses this?