Defusing the demandingness objection: Unreliable intuitions

Abstract

The demandingness objection claims many moral views are mistaken for asking too much from us. This paper shows how to undermine this objection by arguing that our demandingness intuitions are unreliable. It does so by identifying a version of the objection that captures plausible and prominent examples, and then by arguing that these examples rely on unreliable intuitions. It makes a case for unreliability by showing that the causal contributors to demandingness intuitions are unreliable and that other causes plausibly would not confer reliability. The paper also argues that we are not justified in holding our demandingness intuitions. If successful, the developed argument can be used against other philosophical views that rely on considered judgments. – AI-generated abstract.