Moral judgment in States of deliberative equilibrium
ISSN: 0034-8244, 1988-284X
Year of publication: 2006
Issue: 31
Pages: 167-180
Type: Article
More publications in: Revista de filosofía
Abstract
Ethical theory examines human action in general terms, whereas moral judgment takes place in particular situations. These situations often cannot be subsumed easily under general norms and call for a delicate balance of norms and circumstances. I describe situations where opposing courses of action seem morally reasonable and I call them states of deliberative equilibrium. I review Aristotle¿s and Kant¿s conceptions of moral judgment and I offer a rule for stepping from deliberation to judgment in many situations of equilibrium.