Ethical Naturalism and Moral Twin Earth |
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Authors: | Andrea Viggiano |
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Institution: | (1) Dipartimento di Discipline della Comunicazione, Università di Bologna, Italy, Via Azzo Gardino 23, Bologna, BO, 40122, Italy |
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Abstract: | In order to rebut G. E. Moore’s open question argument, ethical naturalists adopt a theory of direct reference for our moral
terms. T. Horgan and M. Timmons have argued that this theory cannot be applied to moral terms, on the ground that it clashes
with competent speakers’ linguistic intuitions. While Putnam’s Twin Earth thought experiment shows that our linguistic intuitions
confirm the theory of direct reference, as applied to ‘water’, Horgan and Timmons devise a parallel thought experiment about
moral terms, in order to show that this theory runs against our linguistic intuitions about such terms. My claim is that the
Horgan–Timmons argument does not work. I concede that their thought experiment is a good way to test the applicability of
the theory of direct reference to moral terms, and argue that the upshot of their experiment is not what they claim it is:
our linguistic intuitions about Moral Twin Earth are parallel to, not different from, our intuitions about Twin Earth.
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Keywords: | " target="_blank"> Ethical naturalism Moral disagreement Moral realism Open question argument Theory of direct reference Twin Earth |
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