Abstract
The aim of the consequentializing project is to show that, for every plausible ethical theory, there is a version of consequentialism that is extensionally equivalent to it. One challenge this project faces is that there are common-sense ethical theories that posit moral dilemmas. There has been some speculation about how the consequentializers should react to these theories, but so far there has not been a systematic treatment of the topic. In this article, I show that there are at least five ways in which we can construct versions of consequentialism that are extensionally equivalent to the ethical theories that contain moral dilemmas. I argue that all these consequentializing strategies face a dilemma: either they must posit moral dilemmas in unintuitive cases or they must rely on unsupported assumptions about value, permissions, requirements, or options. I also consider this result's consequences for the consequentializing project.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 261-289 |
Number of pages | 29 |
Journal | Journal of Moral Philosophy |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 22 Feb 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 5 Jun 2020 |
Keywords
- consequentialism
- consequentializing
- ethical theory
- moral dilemmas
- normative ethics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Philosophy