Abstract
This paper aims to come to grips with the moral realism of Charles Taylor by focusing on the debate between realists and nonrealists. I believe that a close examination of Taylor’s moral realism can express Taylor’s critical attitude to contemporary moral philosophy, it also brings out a new way which can face to the challenges of nonrealism. Ruth Abby argues that Taylor’s moral realism is different from two current popular realisms: strong and weak moral realism and she takes Taylor’s moral realism as a falsifiable realism. But some of Taylor’s commentators contend that his moral realism belongs to the strong side. However, there are also some claims that his realism is weak. I attempt to argue against those commentators and defend his moral realism as a falsifiable realism. As a result, the contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it reveals the defects of both strong moral realism and weak moral realism. Second, as a consequence, this analysis not only make us believe that Taylor’s moral realism does not belong to strong or weak side, but also his attention to individual’s moral life and experience has its own unique characteristic and superiority, It also illustrates the importance of good and why his realism is called a falsifiable realism.
Highlights
Charles Taylor is considered by Richard Rorty to be one of the twelve most important philosophers working in the contemporary world
This paper aims to come to grips with the moral realism of Charles Taylor by focusing on the debate between realists and nonrealists
The approach to maintain realism that Taylor takes is different from strong realism and weak realism, the former is obsessed with moral facts and moral objectivity and the latter considers morality as artificialities, for Taylor, The good plays a central role in his realism and the methods he adopts to expound to prove the reality of good have the features of moral phenomenology and hermeneutic
Summary
Charles Taylor is considered by Richard Rorty to be one of the twelve most important philosophers working in the contemporary world. His thoughts on moral realism have uniqueness; especially he attempts to reconcile strong realism with weak realism, resulting in what I consider to be a unique theory of realism: a falsifiable realism. The most important critique that Taylor raises is that modern moral philosophy is no longer concerned with the nature of good life, but only regards morality as a the content of obligation, that is only concentrating on what it is to do is right rather than what it is good to be. About how to understand Taylor’s falsifiable realism is my main task of this paper and I will attempt to show what roles of moral goods are played in his realism theory
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
