Institutional Normativity and the Evolution of Morals: A Behavioural Approach to Ethics

Abstract

This article explores the normative nature of institutions. The starting point of my investigation is Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler’s notion of the reference transaction from which I derive a recursive relationship between normative judgements and social practices (i.e. regular, routinised actions in a social group), an implication of which I call the “self-justification of practices”. Drawing on John Dewey, I demonstrate how prevailing practices influence normative standards and thus how institutions become normative entities. I then show how, despite the conservative bias of normative standards, institutional change comes about. Finally, I enquire into the possibility of normative critique of prevailing practices and institutions.