Cornell University
Library
Cornell UniversityLibrary

eCommons

Help
Log In(current)
  1. Home
  2. Cornell University Graduate School
  3. Cornell Theses and Dissertations
  4. Schrödinger's Categories: The Indeterminacy of Folk Metaethics

Schrödinger's Categories: The Indeterminacy of Folk Metaethics

File(s)
Bush_cornellgrad_0058F_13517.pdf (3.36 MB)
Bush_LS_dissertation_supplement.pdf (5.76 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/x0qw-7w05
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/113997
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Bush, Lance
Abstract

Metaethics is a field of philosophy that addresses fundamental questions about the nature of morality. One of the central disputes in metaethics is whether moral realism is true. Moral realism is the claim that there are stance-independent moral facts, moral facts that are true independent of the standards or values of individuals or groups, much like scientific facts (e.g., the shape of the earth) aren’t made true by personal preference or cultural consensus. Moral antirealism is the claim that there are no stance-independent moral facts. Research on folk metaethics studies whether ordinary people (i.e., nonphilosophers) endorse realism or antirealism, or speak and think in ways that commit them to one of these views. Some researchers maintain that nearly everyone endorses either realism or antirealism, but not both. Yet most research suggests significant interpersonal and intrapersonal variation in folk metaethics: some people are more inclined towards realism, and others antirealism, while most people are metaethical pluralists: they are moral realists about some moral issues and antirealists about others. Regardless of the account in question, all existing research presumes that there is a determinate fact about whether people are realists or antirealists. I argue that existing evidence does not support this conclusion. Instead, the best account of folk metaethics may be metaethical indeterminacy: ordinary people are neither realists nor antirealists, and neither best explains the way people speak or think. The case for metaethical indeterminacy proceeds in two steps. First, I argue that all published studies on folk metaethics rely on invalid measures. Second, I present empirical evidence that challenges the validity of existing research on folk metaethics and supports metaethical indeterminacy. I evaluate the proportion of people who interpret questions about metaethics as intended, using open response questions, as well as multiple choice questions and Likert scale items. These studies show that most people do not interpret questions about metaethics as researchers intend. I conclude with a study that demonstrates how forced choice paradigms can create the misleading appearance of a genuine pattern of determinate folk philosophical views, even where none plausibly exist.

Description
Supplemental file(s) description: None.
Date Issued
2023-05
Keywords
Antirealism
•
Experimental philosophy
•
Metaethics
•
Moral psychology
•
Psychology of metaethics
•
Realism
Committee Chair
Pizarro, David
Committee Member
Niemi, Laura
Nichols, Shaun
Christiansen, Morten
Degree Discipline
Psychology
Degree Name
Ph. D., Psychology
Degree Level
Doctor of Philosophy
Type
dissertation or thesis
Link(s) to Catalog Record
https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/16176401

Site Statistics | Help

About eCommons | Policies | Terms of use | Contact Us

copyright © 2002-2026 Cornell University Library | Privacy | Web Accessibility Assistance