Reflective Equilibrium and Moral Knowledge: the case of the theory of justice as fairness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/2179378666931Keywords:
Reflective Equilibrium, Moral Knowledge, Justice as Fairness, John RawlsAbstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate the scope of the reflective equilibrium method and its relationship with moral knowledge, reflecting on the role of this method in John Rawls's theory of justice as fairness. To this end, we begin by showing the influence of this method on moral and political philosophy. Afterwards, the investigation focuses on analyzing the importance of reflexive equilibrium in Rawlsian theory, highlighting the use of narrow and wide reflective equilibrium, especially in the “Outline of a decision procedure for ethics”, A Theory of Justice and “The independence of moral theory” and the use of general and full reflective equilibrium in Justice as Fairness, Political Liberalism, “Reply to Habermas” and The Law of Peoples. In the final part of the text, the idea is to defend the reflexive equilibrium as a very adequate method to obtain the objectivity of ethical beliefs, which can be interpreted as a kind of moral knowledge.
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