Problems for moral debunkers : on the logic and limits of empirically informed ethics / Peter Königs.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Königs, Peter, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethics.

Empiricism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (154 pages)

Place of Publication:

Berlin, Germany : Walter de Gruyter GmbH, [2022]

Summary:

One the most interesting debates in moral philosophy revolves around the significance of empirical moral psychology for moral philosophy. Genealogical arguments that rely on empirical findings about the origins of moral beliefs, so-called debunking arguments, take center stage in this debate. Looking at debunking arguments based on evidence from evolutionary moral psychology, experimental ethics and neuroscience, this book explores what ethicists can learn from the science of morality, and what they cannot. Among other things, the book offers a new take on the deontology/utilitarianism debate, discusses the usefulness of experiments in ethics, investigates whether morality should be thought of as a problem-solving device, shows how debunking arguments can tell us something about the structure of philosophical debate, and argues that debunking arguments lead to both moral and prudential skepticism. Presenting a new picture of the relationship between empirical moral psychology and moral philosophy, this book is essential reading for moral philosophers and moral psychologists alike.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Acknowledgments

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Evolution

3 Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Experimental Ethics

4 Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Morality as Problem-Solving

5 Deontology, Confabulation, and the Structure of Philosophical Debate

6 Realism, Constructivism, and Evolution

7 Morality, Wellbeing, and Evolution

8 Conclusion

9 References

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

3-11-075019-8