Moral constructivism or ethical constructivism is a view both in
meta-ethics
In metaphilosophy and ethics, meta-ethics is the study of the nature, scope, and meaning of moral judgment. It is one of the three branches of ethics generally studied by philosophers, the others being normative ethics (questions of how one ought ...
and
normative ethics
Normative ethics is the study of ethical behaviour and is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the questions that arise regarding how one ought to act, in a moral sense.
Normative ethics is distinct from meta-ethics in that the ...
.
Metaethical constructivism holds that correctness of moral judgments, principles and values is determined by being the result of a suitable constructivist procedure. In other words, normative values are not something discovered by the use of
theoretical reason
Speculative reason, sometimes called theoretical reason or pure reason, is theoretical (or logical, deductive) thought, as opposed to practical (active, willing) thought. The distinction between the two goes at least as far back as the ancient Gr ...
, but a construction of human
practical reason
In philosophy, practical reason is the use of reason to decide how to act. It contrasts with theoretical reason, often called speculative reason, the use of reason to decide what to follow. For example, agents use practical reason to decide whethe ...
.
In normative ethics, moral constructivism is the view that principles and values within a given normative domain can be justified based on the very fact that they are the result of a suitable constructivist device or procedure.
See also
* ''
Constructivism in Practical Philosophy
'' Constructivism in Practical Philosophy'' is a 2012 book edited by James Lenman and Yonatan Shemmer, presenting twelve papers on moral constructivism.
Contributors
* Michael E. Bratman
* Dale Dorsey
* Nadeem J. Z. Hussain
* Aaron James
* J ...
''
*
Ethical subjectivism
Ethical subjectivism or moral non-objectivism is the meta-ethical view which claims that:
#Ethical sentences express propositions.
#Some such propositions are true.
#The truth or falsity of such propositions is ineliminably dependent on the (actu ...
*
Moral rationalism
Moral rationalism, also called ethical rationalism, is a view in meta-ethics (specifically the epistemology of ethics) according to which moral principles are knowable '' a priori'', by reason alone. Some prominent figures in the history of phil ...
*
Pragmatic ethics
Pragmatic ethics is a theory of normative philosophical ethics and meta-ethics. Ethical pragmatists such as John Dewey believe that some societies have progressed morally in much the way they have attained progress in science. Scientists can pur ...
References
External links
*
*
Epistemological theories
Meta-ethics
Ethical theories
Rationalism
A priori
Constructivism
{{ethics-stub