ESDiT Publications

@article{Klenk2023,

title = {Not a Good Fix: Constitutivism on Value Change and Disagreement},

author = {Michael Klenk and Ibo van de Poel},

url = {https://www.esdit.nl/not-a-good-fix/},

doi = {10.1007/s10670-023-00742-y},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-10-13},

urldate = {2023-10-13},

journal = {Erkenntnis},

abstract = {We examine whether Thomsonian constitutivism, a metaethical view that analyses value in terms of ‘goodness-fixing kinds,’ i.e. kinds that themselves set the standards for being a good instance of the respective kind, offers a satisfactory explanation of value change and disagreement. While value disagreement has long been considered an important explanandum, we introduce value change as a closely related but distinct phenomenon of metaethical interest. We argue that constitutivism fails to explain both phenomena because of its commitment to goodness-fixing kinds. Constitutivism explains away disagreement and at best explains the emergence of new values, not genuine change. Therefore, Thomsonian constitutivism is not a good fix for realist problems with explaining value disagreement, and value change.},

keywords = {Constitutivism, Metaethics, Value change, Value disagreement},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}