The Open Question Argument and the Possibility of Reductionism
Studies in Analytical Philosophy
Ieva Vasilionytė
Published 2012-01-01
https://doi.org/10.15388/Problemos.2012.0.1874
37-50.pdf

Keywords

Open Question Argument
reductionism
ethical naturalism
normativity

How to Cite

Vasilionytė, I. (2012) “The Open Question Argument and the Possibility of Reductionism”, Problemos, pp. 37–50. doi:10.15388/Problemos.2012.0.1874.

Abstract

In this paper I am interested in which reductionist positions are blocked, and on what grounds, by the Open Question Argument (OQA) both historically and by its contemporary guises. I single out four most salient interpretations of the OQA and analyze their impact on the possibility of reductionist theories of evaluative properties. It will be suggested that the OQA poses a serious threat to semantic naturalism about moral terms, but does not block the possibility of metaphysical ethical naturalism (though possibly condemns it to a certain schizophrenia).

37-50.pdf

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