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Relativism about Morality
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Paul Boghossian
Abstract
Many philosophers and non-philosophers are attracted to the view that moral truths are relative to moral framework or culture. I distinguish between two versions of such a view. I argue that one version is coherent but not plausible, and I argue that the second one can’t be made sense of. The upshot is that we have to make sense of at least some objective moral truths.
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Abstract
Many philosophers and non-philosophers are attracted to the view that moral truths are relative to moral framework or culture. I distinguish between two versions of such a view. I argue that one version is coherent but not plausible, and I argue that the second one can’t be made sense of. The upshot is that we have to make sense of at least some objective moral truths.
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Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Preface v
- Table of Contents vii
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1. Constructivism and Beyond
- Are Philosophers′ Actions Realist or Constructivist? 3
- On the Non-Dualizing Rhetoric. Some Preliminary Remarks 17
- Ist der Konstruktivismus selbstwidersprüchlich? 31
- Die Wahrheitsspieler. Strategische Kommunikation als Spiel 45
- Who Wants to Be a Non-Dualist and Why? 59
- Jean Piaget und die Erfindung von Radikalem Konstruktivismus und Kybernetik Zweiter Ordnung 73
- Two Ways of Exploring the World 83
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2. Epistemology/Epistemological Relativism
- The Truth of Social Constructivism 103
- The Objectivity of Epistemic Values and the Argument from Immersion 117
- Epistemological Realism, Representation, and Intentionality 129
- Angelina’s Truth: Genetic Knowledge, Preventive Medicine, and the Reality of the Possible 137
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3. Realism versus Relativism
- Neither Realism nor Anti-Realism: How to approach the Anthropocene? 153
- Ein Bild – ohne Betrachter – hielt uns gefangen. Wittgensteins ambivalenter Abschied vom Realismus 167
- Relativisms and Their Opposites 187
- When Paul Met Ludwig: Wittgensteinian Comments on Boghossian’s Antirelativism 203
- Fighting Relativism: Wittgenstein and Kuhn 215
- Wissenschaftstheoretische Überlegungen jenseits von Realismus, Relativismus und Konstruktivismus 233
- Realism without Foundation 241
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4. Ontology/Ontological Relativism
- Constructed Reality 255
- Ontological Relativism as Transcendental Nominalism 269
- Realism about Identity and Individuality of Conscious Beings 279
- What is the Thing Whose Measure is Money? 293
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5. Values and Value Relativism
- Relativism about Morality 301
- Slavery and Justice: Williams and Wiggins 313
- A Plurality of True Moralities? Tracing ‘Truth’ in Moral Relativism 327
- Zum Wert von Vertrauen 339
- Die Erfindung der Sein-Sollen-Dichotomie 353
- Wird die Moral von uns geschaffen? 365
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6. Wittgenstein
- The Sociology of the Supernatural: Wittgenstein’s Lecture on Ethics 381
- Can We Piece Together a Coherent Account of the “Person” from the Writings of Wittgenstein? 397
- Wittgensteins Philosophieren zwischen Kodex und Strategie: Logik, Schach und Farbausdrücke 409
- Wittgenstein, Kierkegaard and the Significance of Silence 425
- Zweifeln können und zweifeln wollen: Über Gewissheit §217–231 435
- Rules and Privacy: Remarks on Philosophical Investigations §202 449
- Index of names 459
- Index of subjects 465
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter i
- Preface v
- Table of Contents vii
-
1. Constructivism and Beyond
- Are Philosophers′ Actions Realist or Constructivist? 3
- On the Non-Dualizing Rhetoric. Some Preliminary Remarks 17
- Ist der Konstruktivismus selbstwidersprüchlich? 31
- Die Wahrheitsspieler. Strategische Kommunikation als Spiel 45
- Who Wants to Be a Non-Dualist and Why? 59
- Jean Piaget und die Erfindung von Radikalem Konstruktivismus und Kybernetik Zweiter Ordnung 73
- Two Ways of Exploring the World 83
-
2. Epistemology/Epistemological Relativism
- The Truth of Social Constructivism 103
- The Objectivity of Epistemic Values and the Argument from Immersion 117
- Epistemological Realism, Representation, and Intentionality 129
- Angelina’s Truth: Genetic Knowledge, Preventive Medicine, and the Reality of the Possible 137
-
3. Realism versus Relativism
- Neither Realism nor Anti-Realism: How to approach the Anthropocene? 153
- Ein Bild – ohne Betrachter – hielt uns gefangen. Wittgensteins ambivalenter Abschied vom Realismus 167
- Relativisms and Their Opposites 187
- When Paul Met Ludwig: Wittgensteinian Comments on Boghossian’s Antirelativism 203
- Fighting Relativism: Wittgenstein and Kuhn 215
- Wissenschaftstheoretische Überlegungen jenseits von Realismus, Relativismus und Konstruktivismus 233
- Realism without Foundation 241
-
4. Ontology/Ontological Relativism
- Constructed Reality 255
- Ontological Relativism as Transcendental Nominalism 269
- Realism about Identity and Individuality of Conscious Beings 279
- What is the Thing Whose Measure is Money? 293
-
5. Values and Value Relativism
- Relativism about Morality 301
- Slavery and Justice: Williams and Wiggins 313
- A Plurality of True Moralities? Tracing ‘Truth’ in Moral Relativism 327
- Zum Wert von Vertrauen 339
- Die Erfindung der Sein-Sollen-Dichotomie 353
- Wird die Moral von uns geschaffen? 365
-
6. Wittgenstein
- The Sociology of the Supernatural: Wittgenstein’s Lecture on Ethics 381
- Can We Piece Together a Coherent Account of the “Person” from the Writings of Wittgenstein? 397
- Wittgensteins Philosophieren zwischen Kodex und Strategie: Logik, Schach und Farbausdrücke 409
- Wittgenstein, Kierkegaard and the Significance of Silence 425
- Zweifeln können und zweifeln wollen: Über Gewissheit §217–231 435
- Rules and Privacy: Remarks on Philosophical Investigations §202 449
- Index of names 459
- Index of subjects 465
