Ofra Magidor, an Oxford philosopher specializing in epistemicism and moral vagueness, dives deep into the intriguing complexities of moral reasoning. She discusses how vagueness in language impacts our understanding of morality, particularly with contentious issues like abortion. Magidor challenges the idea of definitive moral boundaries, highlighting the role of context and cultural differences. She also touches upon how varying interpretations of permissibility reveal the intricate nature of moral truths in our diverse communities.
Moral vagueness arises from the ambiguity of language and concepts, challenging our understanding of ethical dilemmas like permissibility in actions.
Epistemicism asserts that while vague terms imply uncertainty, definitive moral truths exist beyond our current perceptual limits, complicating moral realism.
Deep dives
Understanding Vagueness
Vagueness refers to concepts that lack a precise boundary, demonstrated through examples like the term 'tall.' Individuals can be classified as tall or not based on specific measurements, yet there are instances where the categorization becomes unclear, especially in borderline cases. This vagueness highlights the complexity of language and the limitations in defining certain terms, as context significantly affects how terms are understood. Even in specialized scenarios, such as determining what 'tall' means in a kindergarten setting, the absence of a clear cutoff point illustrates the inherent ambiguity in our language.
Epistemicism and Moral Vagueness
Epistemicism posits that while vague terms may seem unclear, there exists a sharp cutoff point that we, however, cannot perceive or know. This theory aligns with classical logic, suggesting that for any vague statement, a definitive truth exists even if it remains unknown to us. It asserts that vagueness stems from a unique form of ignorance regarding these boundaries rather than a lack of factual distinction. As a result, while we recognize certain moral concepts as vague, such as permissibility in ethical dilemmas, epistemicism argues that moral truths exist even if we cannot pinpoint them definitively.
Moral Concepts and Relativism
Moral judgments, much like vague concepts, can lead to ambiguity, especially in controversial ethical areas like abortion. Different communities may utilize moral terms with slight variances, resulting in conflicting interpretations of moral truths that could coexist without necessarily being considered relativism. This challenges moral realism, which posits a singular moral truth, as it raises questions regarding the existence of multiple moral properties defined by different communities. Ultimately, the ongoing debate about moral vagueness prompts deeper exploration into how we understand morality and the implications of varying ethical perspectives.
Sometimes, there is vagueness about whether it is morally permissible (or even in some situations required) to perform a certain act—moral vagueness. What is the source of moral vagueness? Ofra Magidor discusses this topic with Nigel Warburton.
This episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast has been made in association with Vagueness & Ethics, a research project funded by the European Commission (grant agreement number 101028625 — H2020-MSCA-IF-2020) and led by Miguel Dos Santos at Uppsala University.
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