The Understanding of Value and the Value of Understanding

Date
2024-01-16
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Embargo
Abstract

Epistemologists have distinguished mere knowledge from understanding. When one understands a proposition, one has a deeper grasp of its truth. This same distinction applies in the moral domain. One can merely know a moral proposition, for instance through testimony, without really having a deep understanding of it. My dissertation defends an affective account of moral understanding. Using phenomenological considerations, I first argue that emotional experiences allow us to grasp, and thus understand, moral propositions about specific acts and individuals. I then argue that emotional dispositions are the essence of understanding general moral principles. This account avoids problems with inferentialist accounts and also explains why certain moral propositions seem to defy human comprehension.

Description
EMBARGO NOTE: This item is embargoed until 2030-05-01
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Type
Thesis
Keywords
Moral Understanding, emotion, phenomenology
Citation

Wigglesworth, Logan. "The Understanding of Value and the Value of Understanding." (2024) PhD diss., Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/115357

Has part(s)
Forms part of
Published Version
Rights
Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
Link to license
Citable link to this page