<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The causal theory of reference (CTR) provides a well-articulated and widely-accepted account of the reference relation. On CTR the reference of a term is fixed by whatever property causally regulates the competent use of that term. CTR poses a metaethical challenge to realists by demanding an account of the properties that regulate the competent use of normative predicates. CTR might pose a challenge to ethical theorists as well. Long (2012) argues that CTR entails the falsity of any normative ethical theory. First-order theory attempts to specify what purely descriptive property is a fundamental right-making property (FRM). Long contends that the notion that the FRM causally regulates competent use of the predicate ‘right’ leads to a <italic>reductio</italic>. The failure of this argument is nevertheless instructive concerning a point at which ethics and metaethics overlap.</p></abstract>

The causal theory of reference (CTR) provides a well-articulated and widely-accepted account of the reference relation. On CTR the reference of a term is fixed by whatever property causally regulates the competent use of that term. CTR poses a metaethical challenge to realists by demanding an account of the properties that regulate the competent use of normative predicates. CTR might pose a challenge to ethical theorists as well. Long (2012) argues that CTR entails the falsity of any normative ethical theory. First-order theory attempts to specify what purely descriptive property is a fundamental right-making property (FRM). Long contends that the notion that the FRM causally regulates competent use of the predicate ‘right’ leads to a reductio. The failure of this argument is nevertheless instructive concerning a point at which ethics and metaethics overlap.

Right-Making, Reference, and Reduction

Disputatio

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Right-Making, Reference, and Reduction"}

The causal theory of reference (CTR) provides a well-articulated and widely-accepted account of the reference relation. On CTR the reference of a term is fixed...

Right-Making, Reference, and Reduction

Data publikacji: 31 gru 2018

Zakres stron: 139 - 145

Otrzymano: 30 wrz 2013

Przyjęty: 30 kwi 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2014-0010

Słowa kluczowe
Normative property, descriptive property, causal theory of reference, Jackson, Schroeder

© 2014 Michael Byron, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Right-Making, Reference, and Reduction

Data publikacji: 31 gru 2018

Zakres stron: 139 - 145

Otrzymano: 30 wrz 2013

Przyjęty: 30 kwi 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2014-0010

Słowa kluczoweNormative property, descriptive property, causal theory of reference, Jackson, Schroeder

© 2014 Michael Byron, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Słowa kluczowe
Normative property, descriptive property, causal theory of reference, Jackson, Schroeder