Fodor (1983) claims that the modularity of mind (the relatively encapsulated, insulated, special-purpose nature of the psychological mechanisms of perception) helps undermine relativism in various forms. I shall show first, that the modular vision of mind provides insufficient support for the rejection of (most forms of) relativism, and second, that an alternative (‘neural constructivist’) mode...

Relativism and realism are often held to be in conflict. It is not obvious what the exact nature of the conflict is supposed to be, because it is not obvious what the two doctrines amount to. But that there is some kind of conflict between moral realism and moral relativism is evidenced by the fact that some take moral relativism to be the straightforward denial of moral realism. David Brink, f...

Most happiness researchers use semantic differential or Likert scales to assess happiness. Such conventionally used scales are susceptible to scale renorming (interpretation of scales differently in different contexts) and can produce a specious relativism effect (e.g., rating a low-income person happier than a high-income person in situations where the low-income person is not happier). Buildi...

Session I 9:30 – 10:45 AM Andrew Miles: Roanoke College Department of Philosophy Good, Evil and Well-being: Sam Harris’ Scientific Approach to Ethics One of the most controversial debates in ethics is how to define Good and Evil. Do “good” actions necessarily adhere to commandments set by a God? Or are there many different, equally valid definitions based on cultural norms? Neuroscientist and a...

Because of the unprecedented pace of globalization, foreign experiences are increasingly common and valued. Past research has focused on the benefits of foreign experiences, including enhanced creativity and reduced intergroup bias. In contrast, the present work uncovers a potential dark side of foreign experiences: increased immoral behavior. We propose that broad foreign experiences (i.e., ex...

Violence against women is a global problem of great magnitude. After laying out some sample data on violence against women, I argue that this violence, and its ongoing threat, interferes with every major capability in a woman’s life. Next, I argue that it is the capabilities approach we need, if we are to describe the damage done by such violence in the most perspicuous way and make the most he...

The development of a global ethical system is desirable to fulfil the societal promise of the technology of the Internet. The author attempts to construct such a „pragmatic“ ethical system (in an age of relativism and ethical scepticism) using concepts drawn from a number of moral philosophers. The global ethics construct uses the quality of human rationality as a basis, co-existing with the es...