Expressivist Explanations

Sinclair, Neil

Abstract

In this paper I argue that the common practice of employing moral predicates as explaining phrases can be accommodated on an expressivist account of moral practice. This account does not treat moral explanations as in any way second-rate or derivative, since it subsumes moral explanations under the general theory of program explanations (as defended by Jackson and Pettit). It follows that the phenomenon of moral explanations cannot be used to adjudicate the debate between expressivism and its rivals.

Citation

Sinclair, N. (2012). Expressivist Explanations. Journal of Moral Philosophy, 9(2), 147-177. https://doi.org/10.1163/174552412x625745

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2012
• Deposit Date: Apr 26, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 26, 2012
• Journal: Journal of Moral Philosophy
• Print ISSN: 1740-4681
• Electronic ISSN: 1745-5243
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 147-177
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/174552412x625745
• Keywords: Expressivism; Moral explanation; Program explanation
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1009315
• Publisher URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/jmp/2012/00000009/00000002/art00003