Summary
Christine Korsgaard's "The Sources of Normativity" investigates the origin of ethical concepts' authority over us. The book argues that normativity, which makes claims by commanding, obliging, recommending, or guiding, derives its power from specific philosophical accounts. Korsgaard identifies four such accounts advocated by modern moral philosophers: voluntarism, realism, reflective endorsement, and the appeal to autonomy.
The book traces the historical development of these four accounts, showing how each subsequent theory arose in response to its predecessor. Korsgaard compares their early philosophical iterations with their contemporary manifestations. She posits that Kant's theory, where normativity originates in our own autonomy, represents a synthesis of the other three accounts. The book concludes with Korsgaard presenting her own Kantian-based version of normativity.
Key concepts
- Voluntarism — An account of the source of normativity.
- Realism — An account of the source of normativity.
- Reflective endorsement — An account of the source of normativity.
- Appeal to autonomy — An account of the source of normativity.
- Kant's theory of normativity — The theory that normativity springs from our own autonomy.
From the book
Description: Ethical concepts are, or purport to be, normative. But where does their authority over us come from? Korsgaard identifies 4 accounts of the source of normativity, traces their history and compares their early and contemporary versions.
Description: Ethical concepts are, or purport to be, normative. They make claims on us: they command, oblige, recommend, or guide. Or at least when we invoke them, we make claims on one another; but where does their authority over us - or ours over one another - come from? Christine Korsgaard identifies four accounts of the source of normativity that have been advocated by modern moral philosophers: voluntarism, realism, reflective endorsement, and the appeal to autonomy. She traces their history, showing how each developed in response to the prior one and comparing their early versions with those on the contemporary philosophical scene. Kant's theory that normativity springs from our own autonomy emerges as a synthesis of the other three, and Korsgaard concludes with her own version of…
Snippet: Her discussion is followed by commentary from G. A. Cohen, Raymond Geuss, Thomas Nagel, and Bernard Williams, and a reply by Korsgaard.