A Critical Discussion of Jonathan Dancy's Moral Particularism
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Load more
Recommended publications
-
Failings of Strong Moral Particularism
University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Essays of Significance & Critical Reflections Critical Reflections 2015 Mar 28th, 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Failings of Strong Moral Particularism Timothy Grainger Mr Carleton University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/essaysofsignificance Part of the Philosophy Commons Grainger, Timothy Mr, "Failings of Strong Moral Particularism" (2015). Critical Reflections. 3. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/essaysofsignificance/2014/eos2014/3 This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences and Conference Proceedings at Scholarship at UWindsor. It has been accepted for inclusion in Critical Reflections by an authorized administrator of Scholarship at UWindsor. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 The Failings of Strong Particularism Timothy Grainger Jonathan Dancy has without a doubt raised important meta-ethical issues with traditional principle based ethical system, but he has also over stepped and taken up a position that he cannot defend. On one hand Dancy creates a strong argument for the need of context to play a role in ethical decision making and on the other hand he argues against the ability for principles to have any justified role in moral decision making. This paper will discuss the issues facing Dancy’s extreme rejection of principle, be it his utter rejection of moral principle or simply his rejection that any moral principle can ever be justified, and argue that such a stance is both unproductive and incoherent. Before attempting to dismantle Dancy’s position it is important to see why he should not be discounted altogether. Dancy’s particularism is motivated through two distinct paths; the idea that there is need for contextual sensitivity in ethical matters, and a belief that reasons are always holistic in nature. -
Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy 17, No. 2
Journal of Ethics & Social Philosophy Volume XVII · Number 2 April 2020 Articles 103 Social Reform in a Complex World Jacob Barrett 133 Freedom and Actual Interference Jonah Goldwater 159 Do We Have Reasons to Obey the Law? Edmund Tweedy Flanigan 198 The Ambitions of Consequentialism Brian McElwee Discussions 219 Error Theory, Unbelievability, and the Normative Objection Daniele Bruno 228 Does Initial Appropriation Create New Obligations? Jesse Spafford Journal of Ethics Social Philosophy http://www.jesp.org & TheJournal of Ethics and Social Philosophy (issn 1559-3061) is a peer-reviewed online journal in moral, social, political, and legal philosophy. The journal is founded on the principle of publisher-funded open access. There are no publication fees for authors, and public access to articles is free of charge and is available to all readers under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 license. Funding for the journal has been made possible through the generous commitment of the Gould School of Law and the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences at the University of Southern California. TheJournal of Ethics and Social Philosophy aspires to be the leading venue for the best new work in the fields that it covers, and it is governed by a correspondingly high editorial standard. The journal welcomes submissions of articles in any of these and related fields of research. The journal is interested in work in the history of ethics that bears directly on topics of contemporary interest, but does not consider articles of purely historical interest. It is the view of the associate editors that the journal’s high standard does not preclude publishing work that is critical in nature, provided that it is constructive, well- argued, current, and of sufficiently general interest. -
Reasons and Moral Principles
This is a repository copy of Reasons and Moral Principles. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/76787/ Version: Accepted Version Book Section: Väyrynen, P orcid.org/0000-0003-4066-8577 (2018) Reasons and Moral Principles. In: Star, D, (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Reasons and Normativity. Oxford Handbooks . Oxford University Press , Oxford, UK , pp. 839-864. ISBN 9780199657889 https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199657889.013.37 © 2018, the several contributors. This material was originally published in The Oxford Handbook of Reasons and Normativity, edited by Star, D., and has been reproduced by permission of Oxford University Press https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199657889.013.37. For permission to reuse this material, please visit http://global.oup.com/academic/rights. Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Reasons and Moral Principles∗ Pekka V¨ayrynen University of Leeds 1. -
The Problematics of Moral and Legal Theory
University of Chicago Law School Chicago Unbound Journal Articles Faculty Scholarship 1998 The Problematics of Moral and Legal Theory Richard A. Posner Follow this and additional works at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/journal_articles Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Richard A. Posner, "The Problematics of Moral and Legal Theory," 111 Harvard Law Review 1637 (1998). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at Chicago Unbound. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal Articles by an authorized administrator of Chicago Unbound. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VOLUME 111 MAY 1998 NUMBER 7 1HARVARD LAW REVIEW1 '997 OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES LECTURES THE PROBLEMATICS OF MORAL AND LEGAL THEORY Richard A. Posner TABLE OF CONTENTS I. THE Lminrs OF MORAL THEORIZING ........................................................................... 638 A. The Thesis of PartI Summarized............................................................................. 638 B. My Moral Stance ......................................................................................................... 1642 x. Moral Relativism ................................................................................................ 1642 2. Moral Subjectivism ............................................................................................ 1643 3. Moral Skepticism ............................................................................................... 1643 4. Emotivism .......................................................................................................... -
1 Curriculum Vitae Judith Jarvis Thomson February 2016 Education
1 Curriculum Vitae Judith Jarvis Thomson February 2016 Education: B.A. Barnard College, 1950 B.A. Cambridge University, 1952 M.A. Cambridge University, 1956 Ph.D. Columbia University, 1959 Awards: Phi Beta Kappa Fulbright Scholarship, 1950-51 Frances Dibblee Scholar (Columbia University), 1955-56 AAUW New York State Fellowship, 1962-63 NEH Fellowship, 1978-79 NEH Fellowship, 1986-87 Guggenheim Fellowship, 1986-87 (held in 1987-88) Member, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 1989- Fellow, Centre for Advanced Study, Oslo, Norway, spring 1996 Quinn Prize, APA, 2012 Honorary President, American Committee of the Philosophy Summer School in China, 2013 Honorary degree: Doctor of Letters, University of Cambridge, June 2015 Teaching Positions: Barnard College, 1956-62 Lecturer, 1956-59 Instructor, 1959-60 Assistant Professor, 1960-62 Boston University, 1963-64 Assistant Professor, 1963-64 MIT, 1964- Associate Professor, 1964-69 Professor, 1969-1991 Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy, 1991-96 Professor, 1996- (Professor Emerita, 2004-) Visiting Fellow, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, summer 1968 Visiting Professor, University of Pittsburgh, fall 1976 Visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley, Law School, spring 1983 Visiting Professor, Yale Law School, fall 1982, fall 1984, fall 1985 Visiting Professor, UCLA, winter quarter 2003 Visiting Professor, Princeton, fall 2010 Professional Activities: American Philosophical Association: Chair, Board of Officers, 2002-2004 Eastern Division: -
MORAL PARTICULARISM and TRANSDUCTION Gilbert Harman
Philosophical Issues, 15, Normativity, 2005 MORAL PARTICULARISM AND TRANSDUCTION Gilbert Harman Princeton University Introduction There has been considerable recent discussion of one or another version of ‘‘moral particularism’’ as opposed to ‘‘moral generalism’’ (e.g., Dancy 1993, Sinnott-Armstrong 1999, Hooker and Little 2000, Kihlbom 2002, Va¨yrynen 2004). Moral generalism holds, either that specific moral truths have their source in general moral principles, or that reasonable or justified moral decisions and beliefs are based on the acceptance of general moral principles. Moral particularism rejects moral generalism. There are stronger and weaker versions of moral generalism and corre- spondingly weaker and stronger versions of moral particularism. Strong moral generalism holds, either that all specific moral truths have their source in general moral principles, or that all reasonable or justified moral deci- sions and beliefs are based on the acceptance of general principles. Weak moral generalism holds, either that at least some moral truths have their source in general moral principles, or that at least some reasonable or justified moral decisions and beliefs are based on the acceptance of general moral principles. Since the denial of a strong claim is weak and the denial of a weak claim is strong, strong moral particularism denies weak moral generalism and weak moral particularism denies strong moral generalism. I will be concerned with one of the issues between strong moral general- ism and weak moral particularism. The issues between particularism and generalism are metaphysical, to the extent that they concern the source of moral truths, and epistemic (or psychological), to the extent that they concern the source of reasonable or justified moral decisions and beliefs. -
A Defense of a Particularist Research Program*
A Defense of a Particularist Research Program* Uri D. Leibowitz Abstract: What makes some acts morally right and others morally wrong? Traditionally, philosophers have tried to answer this question by identifying exceptionless moral principles—principles that capture all and only morally right actions. Utilitarianism and Kantianism are paradigmatic examples of such attempts. In recent years, however, there has been a growing interest in a novel approach—Particularism—although its precise content is still a matter of controversy. In this paper I argue that some of the most common objections to particularism result from a misconception of the nature of particularism, and I offer a new formulation of the view. I argue that particularism is best understood as a research program characterized by the core hypothesis that morality can be explained without appeal to exceptionless moral principles, and I explicate some of the advantages of this formulation. Finally, I argue that particularism shows enough promise to warrant further exploration. I. Introduction Particularism is a controversial new movement in moral philosophy. It is not uncommon to hear philosophers say that particularism is a “crazy view” or that it amounts to giving up on moral theorizing. The most prevalent objections to particularism are that particularism is demonstrably false and that particularism is unmotivated.1 I believe that these negative assessments of particularism result from a misconception of the nature of particularism. I hope to show that particularism, properly understood, is a well-motivated project that should not be dismissed out of hand. I will proceed as follows: first, I will outline a recent version of the standard argument against particularism and explain why it is based on a misconception of particularism (section II). -
Can Reasons Be Propositions? Against Dancy's Attack
THEORIA, 2017, 83, 185–205 doi:10.1111/theo.12117 Can Reasons Be Propositions? Against Dancy’s Attack on Propositionalism by MATTEO MORGANTI University of Rome ‘RomaTRE’ and ATTILA TANYI University of Liverpool Abstract: The topic of this article is the ontology of practical reasons. We draw a critical compari- son between two views. According to the first, practical reasons are states of affairs; according to the second, they are propositions. We first isolate and spell out in detail certain objections to the second view that can be found only in embryonic form in the literature – in particular, in the work of Jonathan Dancy. Next, we sketch possible ways in which one might respond to each one of these objections. A careful evaluation of these complaints and responses, we argue, shows that the first view is not as obviously compelling as it is thought by Dancy. Indeed, it turns out that the view that practical reasons are propositions is by no means unworkable and in fact, at least under certain assumptions, explicit considerations can be made in favour of a propositional construal of reasons. Keywords: reasons, propositions, states of affairs, unity of reasons, Jonathan Dancy 1. Introduction REASONS ARE NO DOUBT IMPORTANT. They are important in our everyday life: we customarily refer to reasons when we explain our actions as well as when we try to justify what we plan to do, or what we did. Reasons are also important in con- temporary analytic philosophy. In a recent book, Thomas Scanlon (2014, pp. 1–2) points out that reasons have become the focus of philosophical research in at least two ways. -
Jurisprudence, Halakhah, and Moral Particularism
Volume 64 Issue 5 Article 11 1-30-2020 Jurisprudence, Halakhah, and Moral Particularism Amy J. Sepinwall Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/vlr Part of the Jurisprudence Commons, and the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation Amy J. Sepinwall, Jurisprudence, Halakhah, and Moral Particularism, 64 Vill. L. Rev. 757 (2020). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/vlr/vol64/iss5/11 This Symposia is brought to you for free and open access by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Villanova Law Review by an authorized editor of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. Sepinwall: Jurisprudence, Halakhah, and Moral Particularism 2019] JURISPRUDENCE, HALAKHAH, AND MORAL PARTICULARISM AMY J. SEPINWALL* ALAKHAH is, perhaps maddeningly, about the particular. Examples Habound: Jewish law forbids wearing clothing that mixes wool and linen. Except if one is a kohen (Temple priest), in which case one must wear wool and linen. But only when in the Temple compound; or, accord- ing to a different school, even then only when performing Temple duties.1 Or again: On the Sabbath, a day of rest, one is prohibited from writing by hand. But not by foot or mouth. Old-school Scrabble does not count as writing, but playing on a more modern board with grooves that hold the letters in place does. The contortions and distinctions in these examples find counterparts all over the original codification of the oral tradition and the centuries of commentary that followed. Halakhah is alive, byzan- tine, and seemingly wild.2 Given halakhah’s complexity, one might have thought that it would defy theorization, envisioning it as recalcitrant to the scholar’s aim to disci- pline, unify, generalize. -
Jonathan Dancy: Moral Particularism by Michael Brennen
Jonathan Dancy: Moral Particularism by Michael Brennen - http://michaelbrennen.com Jonathan Dancy: Moral Particularism by Michael Brennen - Sunday, March 09, 2014 http://michaelbrennen.com/2014/03/09/jonathan-dancy-moral-particularism/ In his SEP article presenting moral particularism, Jonathan Dancy defended particularism against “absolute” and “contributory” moral generalism. Absolute moral generalism claims that a moral principle is “a universal claim to the effect that all actions of a certain type are overall wrong (or right).” On this view of morality, an absolute moral principle might be to not break a promise; thus breaking a promise, whatever the circumstances, is a moral wrong. Contributory moral generalism sees multiple moral principles as contributing to a moral valuation, with the various principles concerned coming to some net balance. On this view, breaking a promise might count against the moral valuation of a particular action, but it might be counterbalanced by other contributory principles. The appeal to principles takes both a metaphysical form and an epistemological form. In the metaphysical form, principles are what couple an action to the property of rightness or wrongness; thus the action of taking a piece of candy from a coworker’s desk is coupled to moral rightness or wrongness by the fact of whether the action is stealing, based on whether the coworker has made the candy available for the taking. In the epistemological form, we need a way to know whether an action is right or wrong, and non-moral features of the action determine its rightness or wrongness; on this view, principles are how a competent moral agent can connect the non-moral aspects of his actions to its moral rightness or wrongness. -
Particularism and Generalism Revisited: Towards a Principled Particularism of Contingency
PARTICULARISM AND GENERALISM REVISITED: TOWARDS A PRINCIPLED PARTICULARISM OF CONTINGENCY GEORGES THÉRIAULT Thesis submitted to the University of Ottawa in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the M.A. degree in Philosophy Department of Philosophy Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa Unceded Algonquin Territory © Georges Thériault, Ottawa, Canada, 2020 Abstract: This thesis will revisit the debate between moral particularists and moral generalists in the field of meta-ethics. The general aim of this project will be to come to a better understanding of the status and role of moral principles in a reasons-holistic moral landscape. The specific aim will be to develop a viable position within the particularism-generalism debate that will combine elements from both theories. My central argument will be threefold: (a) I will argue that, in a reasons-holistic moral landscape, exceptionless moral principles are not sufficient to ground the possibility of moral thought and judgement; (b) that the possibility of moral thought and judgement depends in part on a determinate set of exceptionless moral principles and an indeterminate set of defeasible moral principles; and (c) that moral principles are insufficient to codify all or most moral truths in finite and manageable terms. My position therefore is a modified version of Principled Particularism. In this thesis, despite defending a version of particularism, I will not shy away from employing generalist terminology or from accepting certain generalist assumptions. Furthermore, unlike some particularists, I will stress the necessity and utility of moral principles. This thesis will also incorporate research about moral thought and judgement from the fields of moral psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. -
Unworking Animals 73
Ecologocentrism: Unworking Animals 73 Ecologocentrism: Unworking Animals Timothy Morton . with a glance toward those who, in a society from which I do not exclude myself, turn their eyes away when faced by the as yet unnamable which is proclaiming itself and which can do so, as is necessary whenever a birth is in the offing, only under the species of the nonspecies, in the formless, mute, infant, and terrifying form of monstrosity. — Jacques Derrida, “Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences” (293) Whoever is the wisest among you is also just a conflict and a cross between plant and ghost. — Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (6) Ecology without Nature1 One of the things that modernity has damaged in its appropriation of the Earth has been thinking. Unfortunately, one of the damaged ideas is that of Nature itself. (I shall be capitalizing this word where necessary, to highlight its metaphysical qualities.) How do we transition from seeing what we call “Nature” as an object “over yonder”? And how do we avoid “new and improved” versions that end up doing much the same thing (systems theory, Spinozan pantheism, or Deleuze-and-Guattari type worlds of interlocking machines, and so on), just in a “cooler,” more sophisticated way? What kinds of collectivity emerge when we think ecology without Nature? How do we coexist with nonhumans without what Dimitris Vardoulakis and Chris Danta in their introduction to this issue call the “social fantasies that create and sustain a collective ‘we’ in the name of whom violence is exercised”? By “unworking animals” I reference Jean-Luc Nancy’s idea of the “community of unworking” derived from Maurice Blanchot’s interpretation of the Romantic fragment poem.