<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>According to rationalists about moral knowledge, some moral truths are knowable a priori. Rationalists often defend their position by claiming that some moral propositions are self-evidently true. Copp 2007 has recently challenged this rationalist strategy. Copp argues that even if some moral propositions are self-evident, this is not enough to secure rationalism about moral knowledge, since it turns out that such self-evident propositions are only knowable a posteriori. This paper considers the merits of Copp’s challenge. After clarifying the rationalists’ appeal to self-evidence, I show why this rationalist strategy survives Copp’s challenges to it.</p></abstract>

According to rationalists about moral knowledge, some moral truths are knowable a priori. Rationalists often defend their position by claiming that some moral propositions are self-evidently true. Copp 2007 has recently challenged this rationalist strategy. Copp argues that even if some moral propositions are self-evident, this is not enough to secure rationalism about moral knowledge, since it turns out that such self-evident propositions are only knowable a posteriori. This paper considers the merits of Copp’s challenge. After clarifying the rationalists’ appeal to self-evidence, I show why this rationalist strategy survives Copp’s challenges to it.

Self-Evidence and A Priori Moral Knowledge

Disputatio

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Self-Evidence and A Priori Moral Knowledge"}

According to rationalists about moral knowledge, some moral truths are knowable a priori. Rationalists often defend their position by claiming that some moral...

Self-Evidence and A Priori Moral Knowledge

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 459 - 467

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2012-0011

Keywords
Moral knowledge, self-evidence, a priori, a posteriori, David Copp

© 2012 Elizabeth Tropman, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Self-Evidence and A Priori Moral Knowledge

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 459 - 467

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2012-0011

KeywordsMoral knowledge, self-evidence, a priori, a posteriori, David Copp

© 2012 Elizabeth Tropman, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Moral knowledge, self-evidence, a priori, a posteriori, David Copp