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The Evolutionary Debunking Of Quasi-realism

Sinclair, Neil; Chamberlain, James

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Authors

NEIL SINCLAIR neil.sinclair@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Philosophy

James Chamberlain



Contributors

Diego E. Machuca
Editor

Abstract

In “The Evolutionary Debunking of Quasi-Realism,” Neil Sinclair and James Chamberlain present a novel answer that quasi-realists can pro-vide to a version of the reliability challenge in ethics—which asks for an explanation of why our moral beliefs are generally true—and in so doing, they examine whether evolutionary arguments can debunk quasi-realism. Although reliability challenges differ from EDAs in several respects, there may well be a connection between them. For the explanatory premise of an EDA may state that a particular theory of beliefs of a certain kind does not, or cannot, provide a plausible account of why those beliefs might be generally true, and its epistemic premise may state that, if that is the case, then the beliefs in question have a negative epistemic status or the theory is false inasmuch as, if it were true, it would lead to those beliefs having such a negative epistemic status. The quasi-realist can answer the reli-ability challenge by claiming that, when we form our moral beliefs through a process of well-informed impartial reflection, we form them in response to the non-moral features of things on which depend the moral features they have. Hence, when we form beliefs by means of such a process, we are most likely forming true moral beliefs.

Citation

Sinclair, N., & Chamberlain, J. (2023). The Evolutionary Debunking Of Quasi-realism. In D. E. Machuca (Ed.), Evolutionary Debunking Arguments: Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Mathematics, Metaphysics, and Epistemology (33-55). London: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)

Acceptance Date Jun 1, 2022
Online Publication Date Sep 9, 2022
Publication Date 2023
Deposit Date Jun 10, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 10, 2024
Publisher Routledge
Pages 33-55
Series Title Routledge Studies in Contemporary Philosophy
Book Title Evolutionary Debunking Arguments: Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Mathematics, Metaphysics, and Epistemology
ISBN 9780367458447
Keywords Quasi-realism, evolution, debunking
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/8397619
Publisher URL https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003026419-4/evolutionary-debunking-quasi-realism-neil-sinclair-james-chamberlain?context=ubx&refId=c02340f7-48c1-4caf-966f-c0a005864953
Related Public URLs https://www.routledge.com/Evolutionary-Debunking-Arguments-Ethics-Philosophy-of-Religion-Philosophy/Machuca/p/book/9780367458447
Additional Information This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Evolutionary Debunking Arguments: Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Mathematics, Metaphysics, and Epistemology on September 8, 2022 available online: https://www.routledge.com/9780367458447

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