A Dilemma for Non-descriptive Cognitivism
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts
Major
Philosophy
Date of Defense
11-20-2013
Graduate Advisor
Professor Berit Brogaard
Committee
Eric Wiland
Jon McGinnis
Abstract
It has been assumed traditionally that cognitive content and descriptive content are coextensional; all cognitive contents are descriptive and non-descriptive contents are non-cognitive. Horgan and Timmons try to break some new ground in metaethics by proposing that “in addition to descriptive beliefs, there are (moral) evaluative beliefs which are neither reducible to, nor a species of, beliefs of the former type.” They believe that moral beliefs do not describe moral facts. In what follows I will focus on what they call non-descriptive (moral) beliefs. I shall argue that their view faces a dilemma: either they should accept that moral beliefs are indeed descriptive, or their view is blocked by the Frege-Geach problem. Also, I shall argue that their framework is incapable of providing a clear notion of moral progress.
Note: This thesis is under a author requested embargo until 2213, after which it will become available in accordance with end of expected copyright protection. This embargo year is intentional and not an error.
Recommended Citation
Shahmoradi, Ayoob, "A Dilemma for Non-descriptive Cognitivism" (2013). Theses. 187.
https://irl.umsl.edu/thesis/187