What Ethical Theory Is
Richard Y Chappell
What Ethical Theory Is
And why low-decouplers can't handle it
Consider the popular inference:
P1. Ethical theory X implies that one objectively ought to φ in circumstances C.
P2. That sounds bad. We shouldn’t want people to be so disposed to φ.
∴ C. Ethical theory X is false and dangerous.
This inference is invalid. It falsely assumes that we should always want people to be disposed to perform any objectively right action. But we shouldn’t always want this, for at least three reasons:
(1) Some..