文章基本信息

标题：A Reply to Aikin and Talisse
本地全文：下载
作者：Mark Uffelman
期刊名称：William James Studies
电子版ISSN：1933-8295
出版年度：2012
卷号：9
页码：169-184
出版社：Illinois University Press
摘要：In "Three Challenges to Jamesian Ethics," Aikin and Talisse develop a critical analysis of the two central features of James's ethics, pluralism and meliorism. They conclude that James's ethics cannot accommodate certain basic moral intuitions. Moreover, itis alleged to fosterconflict by overlooking demands that call for the suppression of other demands and by its inability to provide a substantive conception of toleration. Iwill suggestthat James's answers to the psychologicalandcasuistic questionsin"The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life" offer a plausible response tothe counter-intuition criticism. Secondly, the opposition of two versions of moral absolutism constitutes a problem for relativism,but not James's pluralism. As a pluralist, he is not committed to the thesis that every moral belief is as good as any other.Even detachedfrom his pluralism, James's meliorism should not be understoodto endorse religious warfare as part of a conception of improvement.Lastly, if this interpretation iscorrect thereis no reason his pluralistic ethics is obligated to accept the intolerant