Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without Intuitions
Does the method of reflective equilibrium (henceforth, RE) involve ethical intuitions? If not, what are the so-called “considered judgments” invoked at the beginning of the process of reflective equilibrium? Contrary to the principal tendency in moral and political philosophy, I provide a negative a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Society for the Advancement of Philosophy
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Prolegomena |
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| Online Access: | http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/276517 |
| _version_ | 1819045983930023936 |
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| author | Christian Rettig |
| author_facet | Christian Rettig |
| author_sort | Christian Rettig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Does the method of reflective equilibrium (henceforth, RE) involve ethical intuitions? If not, what are the so-called “considered judgments” invoked at the beginning of the process of reflective equilibrium? Contrary to the principal tendency in moral and political philosophy, I provide a negative answer to the first question. I hold that ethical intuitions are non-inferential beliefs. I then claim that RE does not involve ethical intuitions because its coherentist character rejects, by definition, any type of non-inferentiality. Concerning the second question above, I provide an answer that preserves the epistemological consistency of RE: considered judgments should be defined as inferential beliefs. The possibility of their inferential character relies on the role of background beliefs in the process of reflective equilibrium. In brief, I criticise and reformulate the standard interpretation of RE by claiming that it does not involve ethical intuitions but only inferential beliefs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:37:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0c0efbf68b14491b9b58c71709c42bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1333-4395 1846-0593 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:37:15Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Society for the Advancement of Philosophy |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Prolegomena |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0c0efbf68b14491b9b58c71709c42bf2022-12-21T19:07:02ZengSociety for the Advancement of PhilosophyProlegomena1333-43951846-05932017-01-011613954Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without IntuitionsChristian Rettig0Department of Political Science – University College London, London, UKDoes the method of reflective equilibrium (henceforth, RE) involve ethical intuitions? If not, what are the so-called “considered judgments” invoked at the beginning of the process of reflective equilibrium? Contrary to the principal tendency in moral and political philosophy, I provide a negative answer to the first question. I hold that ethical intuitions are non-inferential beliefs. I then claim that RE does not involve ethical intuitions because its coherentist character rejects, by definition, any type of non-inferentiality. Concerning the second question above, I provide an answer that preserves the epistemological consistency of RE: considered judgments should be defined as inferential beliefs. The possibility of their inferential character relies on the role of background beliefs in the process of reflective equilibrium. In brief, I criticise and reformulate the standard interpretation of RE by claiming that it does not involve ethical intuitions but only inferential beliefs.http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/276517Reflective equilibrium, intuitions, considered judgments, justification, foundationalism, coherentism. |
| spellingShingle | Christian Rettig Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without Intuitions Prolegomena Reflective equilibrium, intuitions, considered judgments, justification, foundationalism, coherentism. |
| title | Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without Intuitions |
| title_full | Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without Intuitions |
| title_fullStr | Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without Intuitions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without Intuitions |
| title_short | Reflective Equilibrium: Justification without Intuitions |
| title_sort | reflective equilibrium justification without intuitions |
| topic | Reflective equilibrium, intuitions, considered judgments, justification, foundationalism, coherentism. |
| url | http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/276517 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christianrettig reflectiveequilibriumjustificationwithoutintuitions |