Browsing by Subject "intuition"
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Item Charitable Giving and Rescue: Conflicting Intuitions towards Effective Altruism(2021-05) Cory, WaltonThe decision where to donate one’s money set aside for charitable purposes is often overlooked. One view advocated for by effective altruists is that we ought to give our money to charities that do the most good impartially considered. Another is that we should prioritize local charities and community projects when we give. Distinct sets of intuitions support both stances, so which is more ethical to follow? This project seeks to answer this question by considering the origins of the conflicting intuitions. Effective altruists commonly rely on thought experiments concerning rescue in order to gain intuitive support for their claims. Intuitions to act partially appear to be based in past experience. Upon closer investigation, deciding between these intuitions alone is unsatisfactory. A balance between the two is necessary, but a balance that favors the more reliable set of intuitions. Virtue ethics offer an approach that accommodates our intuitions towards where to give charitably and best answers which set of intuitions is most ethical when.Item Moral Intuitions And Their Reliability(2019-05-01) Lawless, Morgan; Woodruff, PaulPhilosophers often defer to intuition when discussing ethics. It is common to evaluate an ethical theory by comparing its suggested action in a dilemma to what intuition suggests. A theory that aligns with intuition is said to be more credible, while one that does not align is said to be less credible. But in other cases, philosophers suggest discarding intuition in favor of what theory prescribes. The trouble with these practices is knowing when to trust intuition and when to trust theory. Philosophers and psychologists give convincing arguments to doubt the reliability of ethical intuitions, but I come to their defense in this paper. I argue that intuitions are reliable enough to use as starting points to form ethical beliefs. I explain how understanding the relationship between intuitions and beliefs can help settle moral disagreement. Lastly, I attempt to improve upon the standard resolution to the intuition versus theory problem, known as reflective equilibrium.