Papers by Ashley Lane
Ethics, Politics & Society, May 14, 2018
Moral functionalism, a metaethical theory developed by Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit, claims th... more Moral functionalism, a metaethical theory developed by Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit, claims that we can attain moral knowledge by ascertaining the commonplaces about morality that are typically accepted by actual agents. It has important a priori commitments; whilst we may discover a posteriori that a particular descriptive property is identical to a particular moral property, it is a priori that the thing that is identical to the moral property, whatever that thing actually is, plays a particular role. Jackson holds a particular metaphysical position, and moral functionalism is a development of that position as it applies to ethics. In this paper I adapt an objection made by D.H. Mellor against Jackson's metaphysics to show that moral functionalism's a priori commitments are actually a posteriori. We can only discover if moral functionalism's purportedly a priori claims are true through a posteriori investigation.
Ethics, Politics and Society, 2018
Moral functionalism, a metaethical theory developed by Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit, claims th... more Moral functionalism, a metaethical theory developed by Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit, claims that we can attain moral knowledge by ascertaining the commonplaces about morality that are typically accepted by actual agents. It has important a priori commitments; whilst we may discover a posteriori that a particular descriptive property is identical to a particular moral property, it is a priori that the thing that is identical to the moral property, whatever that thing actually is, plays a particular role. Jackson holds a particular metaphysical position, and moral functionalism is a development of that position as it applies to ethics. In this paper I adapt an objection made by D.H. Mellor against Jackson's metaphysics to show that moral functionalism's a priori commitments are actually a posteriori. We can only discover if moral functionalism's purportedly a priori claims are true through a posteriori investigation.
Thesis Chapters by Ashley Lane
Many ethicists believe that if it is possible to know a true moral proposition, it is always poss... more Many ethicists believe that if it is possible to know a true moral proposition, it is always possible to ascertain a priori the normative content of that proposition. I argue that this is wrong; the only way to ascertain the normative content of some moral propositions requires the use of a posteriori information.
I examine what I call determinate core moral propositions. I assume that some of these propositions are true and that actual agents are able to know them. Ethicists whom I call core-apriorists believe that it is always possible to ascertain a priori the normative content of such propositions. Core-aposteriorists believe that this is false, and that sometimes a posteriori information must be used to ascertain that normative content.
I develop what I call the a posteriori strategy to show that core-apriorists are likely to be wrong, and so core-aposteriorists are correct. The strategy examines the details of particular core-apriorist theories and then shows that the theories have one of two problems: either some of the knowable determinate core moral propositions in the theories are not knowable a priori, or some of the propositions are not determinate, so they cannot perform the epistemological work required of them. Therefore, some knowable determinate core moral propositions are only knowable with the aid of a posteriori information.
I apply the strategy to four different core-apriorist theories. The first is Henry Sidgwick’s theory of self-evident moral axioms, as recently developed by Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer. The second is Matthew Kramer’s moral realism. I then examine Michael Smith’s moral realism, and Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit’s moral functionalism. The a posteriori strategy shows that there are serious difficulties with all four theories. I conclude that it provides good evidence that the core-apriorist is mistaken, and that the core-aposteriorist is right.
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Papers by Ashley Lane
Thesis Chapters by Ashley Lane
I examine what I call determinate core moral propositions. I assume that some of these propositions are true and that actual agents are able to know them. Ethicists whom I call core-apriorists believe that it is always possible to ascertain a priori the normative content of such propositions. Core-aposteriorists believe that this is false, and that sometimes a posteriori information must be used to ascertain that normative content.
I develop what I call the a posteriori strategy to show that core-apriorists are likely to be wrong, and so core-aposteriorists are correct. The strategy examines the details of particular core-apriorist theories and then shows that the theories have one of two problems: either some of the knowable determinate core moral propositions in the theories are not knowable a priori, or some of the propositions are not determinate, so they cannot perform the epistemological work required of them. Therefore, some knowable determinate core moral propositions are only knowable with the aid of a posteriori information.
I apply the strategy to four different core-apriorist theories. The first is Henry Sidgwick’s theory of self-evident moral axioms, as recently developed by Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer. The second is Matthew Kramer’s moral realism. I then examine Michael Smith’s moral realism, and Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit’s moral functionalism. The a posteriori strategy shows that there are serious difficulties with all four theories. I conclude that it provides good evidence that the core-apriorist is mistaken, and that the core-aposteriorist is right.
I examine what I call determinate core moral propositions. I assume that some of these propositions are true and that actual agents are able to know them. Ethicists whom I call core-apriorists believe that it is always possible to ascertain a priori the normative content of such propositions. Core-aposteriorists believe that this is false, and that sometimes a posteriori information must be used to ascertain that normative content.
I develop what I call the a posteriori strategy to show that core-apriorists are likely to be wrong, and so core-aposteriorists are correct. The strategy examines the details of particular core-apriorist theories and then shows that the theories have one of two problems: either some of the knowable determinate core moral propositions in the theories are not knowable a priori, or some of the propositions are not determinate, so they cannot perform the epistemological work required of them. Therefore, some knowable determinate core moral propositions are only knowable with the aid of a posteriori information.
I apply the strategy to four different core-apriorist theories. The first is Henry Sidgwick’s theory of self-evident moral axioms, as recently developed by Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer. The second is Matthew Kramer’s moral realism. I then examine Michael Smith’s moral realism, and Frank Jackson and Philip Pettit’s moral functionalism. The a posteriori strategy shows that there are serious difficulties with all four theories. I conclude that it provides good evidence that the core-apriorist is mistaken, and that the core-aposteriorist is right.