Morality, Normativity, and SocietyMoral claims not only purport to be true, they also purport to guide our choices. This study presents a theory of normative judgment - the "standard-based theory"--Which offers a schematic account of the truth conditions of normative propositions of all kinds, including moral propositions and propositions about reasons. The heart of Copp's approach to moral propositions is a theory of the circumstances under which corresponding moral standards qualify as justified, the "society-centered theory." He argues that because any society needs a social moral code in order to enable its members to live together successfully, and because it would be rational for a society to choose such a code, certain moral codes, and the standards they include, are justified. According to the standard-based theory then, if certain moral standards are indeed justified, corresponding moral propositions may be true. Copp's approach to morality and explaining normativity and the truth conditions of moral claims, raises a number of important issues in moral theory, as well as in metaphysics and the philosophy of language. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
A Cognitivist Theory of Normative Judgment | 9 |
A Regress Argument | 37 |
Theories of Moral Justification | 50 |
A Conception of Morality | 74 |
SocietyCentered Moral Theory | 103 |
The Concept of a Society | 124 |
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Common terms and phrases
accept agent Alice Lake argue argument basic needs capital punishment chapter code is justified comply concept contractarian culture currency dards desire entails epistemic epistemology evaluate example explain fact given Hence idea implies interaction Inuit J. L. Mackie justified code justified moral code justified moral standards justified standard kind meet its needs moral beliefs moral claims moral property moral realism moral reasons moral skepticism moral subscription non-cognitivism non-cognitivist non-normative nonmoral values normative claims normative propositions normative skepticism one's society person principle proposal qualify as justified rational choice rational to choose rationally required Rawls reductionist regress regress argument relevantly justified rules self-grounded reason sense soci social moral code societal choice societal needs societal options societal population societal preference society-centered theory society's standard is justified standard-based theory subscribe morally theory of justification theory of rational thesis things tion true type-one type-two normative unanimity virtue
References to this book
Europe Simple, Europe Strong: The Future of European Governance Frank Vibert No preview available - 2001 |