Metaethical Agnosticism: Practical Reasons for Acting When Agnostic About the Existence of Moral Reasons

Journal of Value Inquiry 54 (1):59-75 (2020)
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Abstract

There has been little discussion about how to act when uncertain about the existence of moral reasons in general. In this paper I will argue that despite being uncertain about the existence of moral reasons, someone can still have a practical reason to act in a particular way. This practical reason is morally relevant because it will have an impact on whether we’re making the correct moral decision. This practical reason will result from a principle of decision-making that can be used when someone is agnostic about the existence of moral reasons. The aims of this paper include explicitly beginning the discussion about this topic and advocating for a principle of moral decision-making that can be used despite being metaethically agnostic.

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Joseph Len Miller
West Chester University

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References found in this work

Culpability and Ignorance.Gideon Rosen - 2003 - Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 103 (1):61-84.
Skepticism about moral responsibility.Gideon Rosen - 2004 - Philosophical Perspectives 18 (1):295–313.
Rejecting ethical deflationism.Jacob Ross - 2006 - Ethics 116 (4):742-768.
Moral Uncertainty and the Principle of Equity among Moral Theories1.Andrew Sepielli - 2012 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 86 (3):580-589.

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