Responses

Abstract

Normative questions often lack determinate answers or involve imprecise comparisons, where relations such as “not worse than” do not satisfy transitivity in the same manner as “better than.” The Triple Theory unifies Kantianism, Contractualism, and Rule Consequentialism by refining formulas of universal law and reasonable rejection to emphasize impartial reasons and aggregate wellbeing. While normative naturalism tends toward nihilism if it denies irreducibly normative facts, a propositional conception of facts allows for non-natural normative truths that function similarly to logical or mathematical axioms. Subjectivism is insufficient to explain reasons for action because such reasons are object-given; for example, the intrinsic nature of agony provides a reason for its avoidance independent of an agent’s current motivational states or idealized desires. To maintain the internal consistency of Kantian Contractualism, the Deontic Beliefs Restriction must be observed, preventing circularity by ensuring that the selection of universal principles does not presuppose prior moral conclusions. Furthermore, Rule Consequentialism addresses the problem of partial compliance through conditional rules that adjust for the actual or expected behavior of others, thereby avoiding the requirement of pointless sacrifices. Ultimately, moral properties are not identical to natural properties, as such reductions fail to provide the positive substantive normative information necessary for ethical deliberation. – AI-generated abstract.