Keith Dowding (ANU): Intuitions and Intuition Pumps In Moral Philosophy
What are moral intuitions and what role do they play in moral theory? Rawls’s reflective equilibrium suggests that we test moral theories by our intuitions and then bring each into line to reach some equilibrium. Intuition pumps work by asking what are our immediate apprehensions about some story and then are used to critique theories or principles. We can contrast this with thought experiments in science, which are often used to show our intuitions must be wrong. I critically examine the role that intuitions play in moral and political theory and suggest some principles for their systematic application.
Location
Coombs Seminar Room D