Making Moral Sense
Beyond Habermas and Gauthier

An exploration of the rational credentials of morality, informed by both analytical and Continental thought.

Logi Gunnarsson (Author)

9780521042154, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 25 October 2007

300 pages, 3 tables
21.5 x 14 x 1.7 cm, 0.397 kg

"...a very closely reasoned, thorough criticism of strongly formalistic accounts..." The Modern Schoolman

Is it rational to be moral? Can moral disputes be settled rationally? Which criteria determine what we have a good reason to do? In this innovative book, Logi Gunnarsson takes issue with the assumption made by many philosophers faced with the problem of reconciling moral norms with a scientific world view, namely that morality must be offered a non-moral justification based on a formal concept of rationality. He argues that the criteria for the rationality of an action are irreducibly substantive, rather than purely formal, and that assuming that morality must be given a non-moral justification amounts to a distortion of both rationality and morality. His discussion includes substantial critical engagement with major thinkers from two very different philosophical traditions, and is notable for its clear and succinct account of Habermas' discourse ethics. It will appeal to anyone interested in practical reason and the rational credentials of morality.

Preface
Part I. Problems: 1. The justificatory crisis of morality
2. Alternative resolutions of the justificatory crisis
3. Subjective reasons
4. Substantive reasons
5. Overcoming rationalism
Part II. Against Rationalism: 6. Gauthier's contractarianism
7. From here to pre-social agreement
8. Habermas' discourse ethics
9. Discoursing about discourse
Part III. For the Substantive Approach: 10. Self-understanding and self-assessment
11. The possibility of progress
12. Practical arguments vs. impossibility arguments
13. Evaluation of others
14. Universality without neutrality
Part IV. For Particularist Substantivism: 15. Against formalism
16. Particularist substantivism vs. list-substantivism
Appendix: transcendental vs. universal pragmatics
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]