Seize the Moment Podcast David Edmonds - The Moral Maze: Exploring Derek Parfit's Vision of Ethics | STM Podcast #177
Jul 2, 2023
David Edmonds, a writer and philosopher known for his engaging works on ethics, discusses Derek Parfit’s quest for objective morality. He explores Parfit’s unique analogies between moral truth and mathematics, alongside insights into the evolutionary roots of moral arguments. The conversation delves into personal identity, examining how psychological continuity, rather than strict identity, shapes us. Edmonds also reflects on his personal relationship with Parfit and the importance of public philosophy in making complex ideas accessible.
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Parfit's Quest For Moral Objectivity
- Derek Parfit spent his last 25 years trying to show morality is objective in a strong, non-religious sense.
- He believed moral truths could be like mathematical truths: objective but not physically measurable.
Morality Like Mathematics
- Parfit compared morality to mathematics, claiming objective moral truths exist though they are not empirically measurable.
- He argued different moral theories climb the same mountain and may converge on shared truths.
Evolutionary Roots Don't Equal Moral Authority
- Evolution explains many moral instincts but does not guarantee they are morally correct.
- Parfit, like Singer, thought reason can override evolutionary moral hangovers.
