---
title: "SU-PHIL2 APR012025"
source: https://www.jemoka.com/posts/kbhsu_phil2_apr012025/
date: 2025-04-01
---

Challenge of moral philosophy: a system which resolves morality and ethics together.
tools definitions appearance vs. reality (descriptive vs. true values) reflective equilibrium morality morality is paradimatically a set of rules/expectations (concerning character/motives/emotions) for right/wrong behavior.
A code of conduct that people &ldquo;must&rdquo; follow to&hellip;
regulate / guide interpersonal interactions rules that concern&hellip; harm / benefit justice / fairness loyalty / obedience sanctity / purity Key question of morality: what do we owe to each other? what do I owe other people?
example twelve commandments no other gods no idols no swearing keep sabbath holy honor parents don&rsquo;t murder don&rsquo;t commit adultery no stealing no lying no coveting descritive morality what people think or believe is right and wrong
privileging some kind of in-group true morality what is right and wrong
ethics what&rsquo;s a good life? how should I live? what should I do, all things considered? that is, ethics considers morality, etc but also beauty, etc.
Some other definition: &ldquo;provides standards and methods for identifying, evaluating, and resolving moral challenges and dilemmas.&rdquo;
modern morality Modern morality has four typical features:
&ldquo;universal&rdquo; &mdash; applies to everyone &ldquo;impartial / egalitarian&rdquo; &mdash; everyone counts the same, everyone is &ldquo;equally real&rdquo; &ldquo;inescapable&rdquo; &mdash; you can&rsquo;t ot out &ldquo;overriding&rdquo; &mdash; morality is important, moral considerations are weighty + need to be taken seriously (&ldquo;always beat others&rdquo;) theory Why do we need theory?
identify the &ldquo;correct&rdquo; rules / principles in a systematic way we want to know why these &ldquo;correct&rdquo; rules are correct why be moral? how do we know any of this? what&rsquo;s the methodology? coherentism A coherentism is looping belief that forms the basis of a belief.
Agrippa&rsquo;s Trilemma Beliefs help justify observations.
digraph { graph [bgcolor=transparent]; node [fontcolor=white, color=white]; edge [fontcolor=white, color=white]; observation [shape=rectangle]; dot [shape=none, label=&#34;...&#34;] belief1 -&gt; &#34;observation&#34; -&gt; belief2 -&gt; {&#34;belief3&#34;, &#34;belief4&#34;}; &#34;belief4&#34; -&gt; observation [label=&#34;coherentism&#34;]; &#34;belief3&#34; -&gt; dot; } reflective equilibrium once figure above reaches equilibrium, that&rsquo;s reflective equilibrium
