Pragmatic Challenges in Practical Ethics

Abstract

This brief essay traces a development of orthodox applied ethics into a present-day variant of practical ethics, where pragmatic reasons may upset ideal theoretically and empirically informed epistemically supported ethical prescriptions when these are to be implemented in a real context. This shift comes with a development where the applied ethicists of older days are nowadays aiming for much more specific and practically useful action-guidance, and for activist involvement to support feasible implementation of ethical prescriptions. This results in a strongly and moderately activist variant of practical ethics, both of which face specific challenges due to the necessity of considering pragmatic reasons. I argue that the radical variant has trouble managing these challenges. The moderate variant may manage them, but this may require substantial methodological development.

Full text

Pragmatic Challenges in Practical Ethics
Christian Munthe
In: Garcia, A., Gunnemyr, M. & Werkmäster, J. (2023) Value, Morality & Social Reality: Essays
dedicated to Dan Egonsson, Björn Petersson & Toni Rønnow-Rasmussen. Lund: Department of
Philosophy, Lund University. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37852/oblu.189
ISBN: 978-91-89415-65-2 (print), 978-91-89415-66-9 (digital)
Published by the Department of Philosophy, Lund University.
Edited by: Andrés Garcia, Mattias Gunnemyr, and Jakob Werkmäster
Cover image by Fabian Jones. Cover layout by Gunilla Albertén.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37852/oblu.189.c527
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Text © Andrés Garcia, Mattias Gunnemyr, and Jakob Werkmäster 2023.
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