Date of Award
8-10-2021
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Philosophy
First Advisor
Andrew I. Cohen
Second Advisor
Tim O'Keefe
Third Advisor
S.M. Love
Abstract
Self-effacing ethical theories are those that recommend their own erasure. Such theories are a controversial topic in contemporary moral philosophy. In this thesis, I shed light on what is and is not wrong with this type of theory. I examine two kinds of self-effacing ethical theories, a radical version of sophisticated consequentialism and developmental virtue ethics. I defend them against three common objections to self-effacing theories. I raise and develop two novel objections to self-effacing theories: a self-erasure objection and an incompleteness objection. I conclude by arguing that these two objections pose fewer challenges for developmental virtue ethics than radical sophisticated consequentialism.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/23185824
Recommended Citation
Keefe, Austin, "What Is Wrong With Self-effacing Ethical Theories?." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2021.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/23185824
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