Massimo Reichlin - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Massimo Reichlin
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attentio... more Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attention to Kant’s ethical theory; moreover, in The Methods of Ethics he concluded that Kantian ethics is inadequate to guide moral life. I review Sidgwick’s references to Kant in order to show that – along with basic differences − there are significant similarities in the main project of the two philosophers; and I suggest that, should Sidgwick have deepened his understanding of Kant, he might have realised that Kantian ethics offered a somewhat different way to accomplish the philosophical project he was interested in, that is, the systematisation of the morality of common sense through the establishment of certain moral axioms. I also suggest that Sidgwick’s misunderstanding of the “formula of humanity” is at the heart of his final dismissal of Kant’s ethics and that deepening his understanding of Kant might have led Sidgwick to revise his views on the rationality of egoism, thereby opening ...
Phenomenology and Mind, 2014
The paper contends that moral realism entails the mind-independent truth of some moral judgements... more The paper contends that moral realism entails the mind-independent truth of some moral judgements; but that the mind-independence of "moral facts" is only partly analogous to the mind-independence of physical facts. It is also argued that characteristic moral facts are those relative to the character and dispositions of persons, which supervene on psychological facts. Along with these evaluative facts there are also deontic facts, concerning the reasons for or against embarking on some course of action; these are based on natural facts concerning human beings and the effects of certain actions on their well-being and dispositions. These facts about human beings are not immediately moral facts, but necessarily assume a moral significance for any rational individual reflecting on them. So, there are objective reasons for action, as contended by moral realism, even though actual obligation presupposes the reflective endorsement of these objective reasons into our subjective s...
On the basis of the empirical evidence concerning the role of emotions in moral judgments, new se... more On the basis of the empirical evidence concerning the role of emotions in moral judgments, new sentimentalist approaches to metaethics have been proposed. Nichols’ theory of sentimental rules, in particular, associates the emphasis on emotive reactions to the relevance of a normative body of rules that guide our judgment on actions. According to Nichols, the emotive mechanism of concern explains the acquisition of the moral capacity and, together with the evidence on psychopaths and autistic children, shows the implausibility of a) moral rationalism, both as a conceptual and as an empirical thesis; b) motivational internalism; and c) moral objectivism. However, if we distinguish between i) the initial acquisition of morality in children and ii) the adult experience of it, we can see that to accept a central role of the emotive mechanisms in the first is not to have shown their centrality in the second. In particular, it is not possible to account for the normative theory in purely e...
Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attentio... more Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attention to Kant’s ethical theory; moreover, in The Methods of Ethics he concluded that Kantian ethics is inadequate to guide moral life. I review Sidgwick’s references to Kant in order to show that – along with basic differences − there are significant similarities in the main project of the two philosophers; and I suggest that, should Sidgwick have deepened his understanding of Kant, he might have realised that Kantian ethics offered a somewhat different way to accomplish the philosophical project he was interested in, that is, the systematisation of the morality of common sense through the establishment of certain moral axioms. I also suggest that Sidgwick’s misunderstanding of the “formula of humanity” is at the heart of his final dismissal of Kant’s ethics and that deepening his understanding of Kant might have led Sidgwick to revise his views on the rationality of egoism, thereby opening ...
Croatian Journal of Philosophy, 2002
It is often argued that scientific developments in the area of biomedicine call for new ethical p... more It is often argued that scientific developments in the area of biomedicine call for new ethical paradigms. Given the inadequacies of the traditional "sanctity-of-life ethics" (SLE), many have argued for a quality-of-life ethics (QLE), based on a non-speciesistic theory of the value of life. In this paper, I claim that QLE cannot account for the normativity of moral judgments, which can be explained only within the context of a theory of practical rationality: the peculiarity of moral normativity calls for an ethics based on respect for rational creatures. I then go on to argue that the ethics of respect for persons (ERP) is not equivalent to SLE; that it can ground the moral protection of human "marginal cases"; that it does not rely on a scientifically implausible notion of human nature; and that it is not vulnerable to the charge of speciesism. Lastly, I suggest that ERP is a strictly philosophical interpretation of the Judeo-Christian moral tradition, and that...
The paper draws attention to five main elements of the account offered in Lecaldano's Sul... more The paper draws attention to five main elements of the account offered in Lecaldano's Sul senso della vita: the subjectivity of a research concerning the meaning of life, its communicability, its sharp distinction from morality, its rejection of any religious perspective, and its being tied to the development of certain character traits, rather than to the adoption of any intellectual consideration or theory. It then offers some suggestions on how each of these points may be partly amended or criticized.
Phenomenology and Mind, 2018
The paper discusses the two meanings that 'method' is often assumed to have in moral phil... more The paper discusses the two meanings that 'method' is often assumed to have in moral philosophy: the epistemic meaning, according to which a method is a procedure to reach moral knowledge, and the normative meaning, according to which it is a criterion of right and wrong in actions. The origin of these two, clearly connected meanings can be traced to Sidgwick's work The Methods of Ethics. It is argued that Sidgwick's seminal idea of a "reflective equilibrium" is a valuable and lasting contribution to the debate on moral epistemology; however, Sidgwick's characterisation of the different normative options is biased against non consequentialist approaches by its concentration on "methods", rather than on theories and "ultimate reasons". This consequentialist bias still lingers in contemporary ethics. keywords method, Sidgwick, reflective equilibrium, consequentialism, deontology * I wish to thank Roger Crisp for some helpful comments o...
Diametros
Tännsjö’s book Setting Health-Care Priorities defends the view that there are three main normativ... more Tännsjö’s book Setting Health-Care Priorities defends the view that there are three main normative theories in the domain of distributive justice, and that these theories are both highly plausible in themselves, and practically convergent in their normative conclusions. All three theories (utilitarianism, the maximin/leximin theory and egalitarianism) point to a somewhat radical departure from the present distribution of medical resources: in particular, they suggest redirecting resources from marginal life extension to the care of mentally ill patients. In this paper I wish to argue, firstly, that prioritarianism should not be considered as an amendment to utilitarianism, as it is in Tännsjö’s view, but as a distinctive fourth option. This can best be appreciated if we focus on a reading of the theory that emphasizes its derivation from egalitarianism and its attempt to develop an intermediate approach between utilitarian and egalitarian intuitions. Secondly, in response to Tännsjö...
Topoi
It is often contended that certain enhancement technologies are acceptable, because they simply u... more It is often contended that certain enhancement technologies are acceptable, because they simply update traditional ways of pursuing the improvement of human capacities. This is not true with reference to moral bioenhancement, because of the radical difference between traditional and biotechnological ways of producing moral progress. These latter risk having serious negative effects on our moral agency, by causing a substantial loss of freedom and capacity of authentic moral behaviour, by affecting our moral identity and by imposing a standard conception of moral personality.
Journal of Scottish Philosophy, 2016
The discussion on the relationship between Hume and utilitarianism has been lively for many decad... more The discussion on the relationship between Hume and utilitarianism has been lively for many decades. To contribute to this discussion, I identify four main features of a utilitarian view: a) a consequentialist theory of the right, b) a hedonist theory of the good, c) some kind of impartiality in evaluating consequences, and d) an essentially prescriptive, rather than merely explicative, attitude. I then show that, first, although he borrowed the word ‘utility’ from Hume, Bentham did not consider Hume as a utilitarian and, second, that Hume's ethics does not really endorse any of the four main tenets of utilitarianism, either in the Treatise or in the Enquiry. I thus conclude that, notwithstanding recent interpretations to the contrary, Hume was no utilitarian in any substantial sense.
Rivista Internazionale Di Filosofia E Psicologia, Jun 21, 2013
█ Riassunto In questo testo viene discussa la tesi secondo cui sarebbe possibile una comprensione... more █ Riassunto In questo testo viene discussa la tesi secondo cui sarebbe possibile una comprensione esaustiva del fenomeno amoroso sulla base dei meccanismi della chimica cerebrale. Si distinguono diversi aspetti dell'amore e si portano ragioni per le quali le chimica cerebrale può svolgere un ruolo più o meno ampio in ciascuno di essi nel fornire una spiegazione del fenomeno amoroso. PAROLE CHIAVE: Amore; Chimica; Libido; Attaccamento; Libero arbitrio.
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attentio... more Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attention to Kant’s ethical theory; moreover, in The Methods of Ethics he concluded that Kantian ethics is inadequate to guide moral life. I review Sidgwick’s references to Kant in order to show that – along with basic differences − there are significant similarities in the main project of the two philosophers; and I suggest that, should Sidgwick have deepened his understanding of Kant, he might have realised that Kantian ethics offered a somewhat different way to accomplish the philosophical project he was interested in, that is, the systematisation of the morality of common sense through the establishment of certain moral axioms. I also suggest that Sidgwick’s misunderstanding of the “formula of humanity” is at the heart of his final dismissal of Kant’s ethics and that deepening his understanding of Kant might have led Sidgwick to revise his views on the rationality of egoism, thereby opening ...
Phenomenology and Mind, 2014
The paper contends that moral realism entails the mind-independent truth of some moral judgements... more The paper contends that moral realism entails the mind-independent truth of some moral judgements; but that the mind-independence of "moral facts" is only partly analogous to the mind-independence of physical facts. It is also argued that characteristic moral facts are those relative to the character and dispositions of persons, which supervene on psychological facts. Along with these evaluative facts there are also deontic facts, concerning the reasons for or against embarking on some course of action; these are based on natural facts concerning human beings and the effects of certain actions on their well-being and dispositions. These facts about human beings are not immediately moral facts, but necessarily assume a moral significance for any rational individual reflecting on them. So, there are objective reasons for action, as contended by moral realism, even though actual obligation presupposes the reflective endorsement of these objective reasons into our subjective s...
On the basis of the empirical evidence concerning the role of emotions in moral judgments, new se... more On the basis of the empirical evidence concerning the role of emotions in moral judgments, new sentimentalist approaches to metaethics have been proposed. Nichols’ theory of sentimental rules, in particular, associates the emphasis on emotive reactions to the relevance of a normative body of rules that guide our judgment on actions. According to Nichols, the emotive mechanism of concern explains the acquisition of the moral capacity and, together with the evidence on psychopaths and autistic children, shows the implausibility of a) moral rationalism, both as a conceptual and as an empirical thesis; b) motivational internalism; and c) moral objectivism. However, if we distinguish between i) the initial acquisition of morality in children and ii) the adult experience of it, we can see that to accept a central role of the emotive mechanisms in the first is not to have shown their centrality in the second. In particular, it is not possible to account for the normative theory in purely e...
Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attentio... more Sidgwick considered Kant as one of his masters. However, he never devoted any systematic attention to Kant’s ethical theory; moreover, in The Methods of Ethics he concluded that Kantian ethics is inadequate to guide moral life. I review Sidgwick’s references to Kant in order to show that – along with basic differences − there are significant similarities in the main project of the two philosophers; and I suggest that, should Sidgwick have deepened his understanding of Kant, he might have realised that Kantian ethics offered a somewhat different way to accomplish the philosophical project he was interested in, that is, the systematisation of the morality of common sense through the establishment of certain moral axioms. I also suggest that Sidgwick’s misunderstanding of the “formula of humanity” is at the heart of his final dismissal of Kant’s ethics and that deepening his understanding of Kant might have led Sidgwick to revise his views on the rationality of egoism, thereby opening ...
Croatian Journal of Philosophy, 2002
It is often argued that scientific developments in the area of biomedicine call for new ethical p... more It is often argued that scientific developments in the area of biomedicine call for new ethical paradigms. Given the inadequacies of the traditional "sanctity-of-life ethics" (SLE), many have argued for a quality-of-life ethics (QLE), based on a non-speciesistic theory of the value of life. In this paper, I claim that QLE cannot account for the normativity of moral judgments, which can be explained only within the context of a theory of practical rationality: the peculiarity of moral normativity calls for an ethics based on respect for rational creatures. I then go on to argue that the ethics of respect for persons (ERP) is not equivalent to SLE; that it can ground the moral protection of human "marginal cases"; that it does not rely on a scientifically implausible notion of human nature; and that it is not vulnerable to the charge of speciesism. Lastly, I suggest that ERP is a strictly philosophical interpretation of the Judeo-Christian moral tradition, and that...
The paper draws attention to five main elements of the account offered in Lecaldano's Sul... more The paper draws attention to five main elements of the account offered in Lecaldano's Sul senso della vita: the subjectivity of a research concerning the meaning of life, its communicability, its sharp distinction from morality, its rejection of any religious perspective, and its being tied to the development of certain character traits, rather than to the adoption of any intellectual consideration or theory. It then offers some suggestions on how each of these points may be partly amended or criticized.
Phenomenology and Mind, 2018
The paper discusses the two meanings that 'method' is often assumed to have in moral phil... more The paper discusses the two meanings that 'method' is often assumed to have in moral philosophy: the epistemic meaning, according to which a method is a procedure to reach moral knowledge, and the normative meaning, according to which it is a criterion of right and wrong in actions. The origin of these two, clearly connected meanings can be traced to Sidgwick's work The Methods of Ethics. It is argued that Sidgwick's seminal idea of a "reflective equilibrium" is a valuable and lasting contribution to the debate on moral epistemology; however, Sidgwick's characterisation of the different normative options is biased against non consequentialist approaches by its concentration on "methods", rather than on theories and "ultimate reasons". This consequentialist bias still lingers in contemporary ethics. keywords method, Sidgwick, reflective equilibrium, consequentialism, deontology * I wish to thank Roger Crisp for some helpful comments o...
Diametros
Tännsjö’s book Setting Health-Care Priorities defends the view that there are three main normativ... more Tännsjö’s book Setting Health-Care Priorities defends the view that there are three main normative theories in the domain of distributive justice, and that these theories are both highly plausible in themselves, and practically convergent in their normative conclusions. All three theories (utilitarianism, the maximin/leximin theory and egalitarianism) point to a somewhat radical departure from the present distribution of medical resources: in particular, they suggest redirecting resources from marginal life extension to the care of mentally ill patients. In this paper I wish to argue, firstly, that prioritarianism should not be considered as an amendment to utilitarianism, as it is in Tännsjö’s view, but as a distinctive fourth option. This can best be appreciated if we focus on a reading of the theory that emphasizes its derivation from egalitarianism and its attempt to develop an intermediate approach between utilitarian and egalitarian intuitions. Secondly, in response to Tännsjö...
Topoi
It is often contended that certain enhancement technologies are acceptable, because they simply u... more It is often contended that certain enhancement technologies are acceptable, because they simply update traditional ways of pursuing the improvement of human capacities. This is not true with reference to moral bioenhancement, because of the radical difference between traditional and biotechnological ways of producing moral progress. These latter risk having serious negative effects on our moral agency, by causing a substantial loss of freedom and capacity of authentic moral behaviour, by affecting our moral identity and by imposing a standard conception of moral personality.
Journal of Scottish Philosophy, 2016
The discussion on the relationship between Hume and utilitarianism has been lively for many decad... more The discussion on the relationship between Hume and utilitarianism has been lively for many decades. To contribute to this discussion, I identify four main features of a utilitarian view: a) a consequentialist theory of the right, b) a hedonist theory of the good, c) some kind of impartiality in evaluating consequences, and d) an essentially prescriptive, rather than merely explicative, attitude. I then show that, first, although he borrowed the word ‘utility’ from Hume, Bentham did not consider Hume as a utilitarian and, second, that Hume's ethics does not really endorse any of the four main tenets of utilitarianism, either in the Treatise or in the Enquiry. I thus conclude that, notwithstanding recent interpretations to the contrary, Hume was no utilitarian in any substantial sense.
Rivista Internazionale Di Filosofia E Psicologia, Jun 21, 2013
█ Riassunto In questo testo viene discussa la tesi secondo cui sarebbe possibile una comprensione... more █ Riassunto In questo testo viene discussa la tesi secondo cui sarebbe possibile una comprensione esaustiva del fenomeno amoroso sulla base dei meccanismi della chimica cerebrale. Si distinguono diversi aspetti dell'amore e si portano ragioni per le quali le chimica cerebrale può svolgere un ruolo più o meno ampio in ciascuno di essi nel fornire una spiegazione del fenomeno amoroso. PAROLE CHIAVE: Amore; Chimica; Libido; Attaccamento; Libero arbitrio.