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Chapter 4 - Cosmic Outlooks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2020

David McPherson
Affiliation:
Creighton University, Omaha
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Summary

I make the case that neo-Aristotelian virtue ethicists need to address the question of the meaning of life (i.e., the question of how our lives fit into the grand scheme of things and whether there is a cosmic or ultimate source of meaning to which we must align our lives). I examine Bernard Williams’ forceful challenge that evolutionary science has done away with the sort of teleological worldview that is needed in order to make sense of an Aristotelian ethical perspective. I consider Hursthouse’s response to Williams’ challenge and argue that it is not sufficient. I also argue against McDowell’s quietism according to which we should remain content with the strong evaluative meanings that arise for us within a particular acquired ethical outlook (e.g., our sense of the noble) and not seek to provide any ontological grounding or justification for them beyond appealing to our second nature. I contend that what we need is in fact a teleological worldview. Against Williams, I argue that there is no necessary incompatibility between evolutionary science and a teleological worldview, and indeed there is some good reason to affirm such a worldview.

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Virtue and Meaning
A Neo-Aristotelian Perspective
, pp. 115 - 149
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • Cosmic Outlooks
  • David McPherson, Creighton University, Omaha
  • Book: Virtue and Meaning
  • Online publication: 09 January 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108775151.005
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  • Cosmic Outlooks
  • David McPherson, Creighton University, Omaha
  • Book: Virtue and Meaning
  • Online publication: 09 January 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108775151.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Cosmic Outlooks
  • David McPherson, Creighton University, Omaha
  • Book: Virtue and Meaning
  • Online publication: 09 January 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108775151.005
Available formats
×