A Critique of John McDowell's Theory of Moral Perception

Author

Edward Ray FallsFollow

Date of Award

8-2021

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Philosophy

Major Professor

Kristina Gehrman

Committee Members

Kristina Gehrman, Jon Garthoff, Clerk Shaw, Megan Bryson

Abstract

This dissertation examines an argument that John McDowell’s view is structurally analogous to Protagoreanism, and that arguments structurally analogous to Plato’s arguments against Protagoreanism apply to McDowell’s view. Through philosophical investigation, the dissertation shows that Plato’s arguments do not perfectly apply to McDowell’s view, but that the view nevertheless is unable to address the metastasized problem of constraint. The metastasized problem of constraint arises in at least two kinds of circumstances: situations where cultural relativism is a concern, and situations where there is pressure to adapt to unforeseeable natural developments.

Recommended Citation

Falls, Edward Ray, "A Critique of John McDowell's Theory of Moral Perception. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2021.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/6517