Month: February 2012

Want to Discover Moral Truth? Part 2 "How to Be a Moral Realist" by R. Boyd

OverviewIn part 1 we looked at how Boyd draws an analogy between scientific realism and moral realism.  The first parallel is that there is a progressively recursive relationship between theory and experience.  The second is that there is a progressively recursive relationship between theory and method.  Check out part 1 if you’d like further elaboration…I’ve […]

Read More Want to Discover Moral Truth? Part 2 "How to Be a Moral Realist" by R. Boyd

How To Turn An Assailant Into Your Friend: Internalism vs Externalism

Notes and Thoughts on Bernard Williams’ Internal and External ReasonsKey Quote:  “Does believing that a particular consideration is a reason to act in a particular way provide, or indeed constitute, a motivation to act?”OverviewOne of the central debates within meta-ethics is between the various strands of naturalism, on the one side, and those of non-naturalism […]

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Is Scientific Progress Cumulative or Revolutionary? Kuhn Part 2: Contemporary Science

Notes and Thoughts on Kuhn’s The Nature and Necessity of Scientific Revolutions:  Part 2OverviewKuhn argues that scientific progress comes about when one paradigm is replaced by other.  This is in contrast to the view that scientific progress is cumulative, and new theories simply modify existing theoretical structures.Application of The Revolutionary Model to Contemporary ScienceSo, the […]

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Is Scientific Progress Cumulative or Revolutionary? Kuhn Part 1

Notes and Thoughts on Thomas Kuhn’s The Nature and Necessity of Scientific Revolutions Favourite Quote: “…whatever its force, the status of the  circular argument is only that of persuasion.  It cannot be made logically or even probabilistically compelling for those who refuse to step into the circle.” Overview Kuhn’s view of how science works is […]

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Objective Moral Values Don’t Exist: Mackie Part 1

Mackie on Objectivity/SubjectivityMackie’s Arguments from Relativity and Queerness Notes and Thoughts on J. L. Mackie’s Ethics:  Inventing Right and Wrong, Part 1IntroMackie represents the position in meta-ethics known a moral skepticism.  As you may have guessed, his position is typified by a strong belief in a god and objective moral values.  Jk. lol.  Actually, moral skepticism […]

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Hurrah/Boo Theory of Ethics: A. J. Ayer Part 2

The Case for EmotivismRecapIn part 1 we looked at Ayer’s arguments against the idea that any value assertion  (e.g. “x is good/right/bad”) by subjectivism, utilitarianism, or absolutism is not reducible to any testable claim, and is therefore meaningless, except as expressions of emotions of approval or disapproval.  So, for example, if I say “premarital sex is baaaaaaaaaaaad” […]

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