Minding the Gap: Moral Disagreement and the Limits of Moral Reasoning

• Název práce v češtině: Mezery v rozumění: Morální neshoda a meze morálního zdůvodňování
• Název v anglickém jazyce: Minding the Gap: Moral Disagreement and the Limits of Moral Reasoning
• Klíčová slova: Morální neshoda|Morální zdůvodňování|Racionální souhlas|Morální nesouhlas|Argument z neshody|Epistemické odůvodnění|Morální realismus|Empirická filosofie|Morální psychologie
• Klíčová slova anglicky: Moral disagreement|Moral reasoning|Rational convergence|The Argument from Disagreement|Epistemic justification|Sceptical challenge|Moral realism|Empirical philosophy|Moral psychology
• Akademický rok vypsání: 2021/2022
• Typ práce: diplomová práce
• Jazyk práce: angličtina
• Ústav: Ústav filosofie a religionistiky (21-UFAR)
• Vedoucí / školitel: doc. Jakub Jirsa, Ph.D.
• Řešitel: skrytý - zadáno a potvrzeno stud. odd.
• Datum přihlášení: 22.07.2022
• Datum zadání: 22.07.2022
• Schválení administrátorem: zatím neschvalováno
• Datum potvrzení stud. oddělením: 22.08.2022
• Datum a čas obhajoby: 11.09.2023 09:00
• Datum odevzdání elektronické podoby: 21.08.2023
• Datum proběhlé obhajoby: 11.09.2023
• Odevzdaná/finalizovaná: odevzdaná studentem a finalizovaná
• Oponenti: prof. James Hill, Ph.D.

Zásady pro vypracování

One of the distinct experiences of human interaction is being in disagreement with other people. People’s disagreement may concern various subjects ranging from personal beliefs to empirical facts abouts the world. It seems that different types of disagreement may be perceived differently. Those associated with subjective, personal views and preferences are commonly treated as less significant than those concerning putatively objective truths. In such cases, the awareness of disagreement seems to undermine one’s certainty that their view is evident and unequivocal, as the disagreement provides a reason to reconsider own position and treat one’s belief as potentially false.
It seems that various attempts of resolving moral disagreement by the means of reason and logical arguments have repeatedly ended in a deadlock. It does not matter whether a potential solution or explanatory account of the disagreement was put forward by the advocates of moral realism, moral relativism, or the Error theory – in is rarely the case that a particular account of moral disagreement – no matter how thorough analysis and elaborate arguments in involves – is found universally compelling across the philosophical community.
Can such widespread disagreement be overcome rationally, that is, by the means of interpersonal reasoning? In this essay, I explore this question and analyse possible solutions, which leads me to argue that the hopes of ultimate resolution to the problem of disagreement are likely utopistic. However, I also try to show that it does not have to be such a major challenge to the concept of human morality as some philosophers claim – on the contrary, it might be even beneficial, from a certain point of view.

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