The AskPhilosophers logo.

Ethics
Philosophy

Are all moral questions philosophical? Some moral questions depend on factual questions (historical or scientific), but I mean the other ones.
Accepted:
April 14, 2016

Comments

Not an easy question to

Charles Taliaferro
June 9, 2016 (changed June 9, 2016) Permalink

Not an easy question to address. "Moral questions" might refer to questions about a particular act (is it morally permissible for you to buy a cup of coffee when that money might go to Oxfam and save a life) or a general practice or an institution. Moral questions might also include general questions about an overall moral or ethical theory. I suggest that in questioning the moral status of something, it is difficult to avoid some philosophy of values, even if this is not being explicitly invoked or applied. Even when employing historical and scientific methods in addressing the moral status of some state of affairs, some philosophy will be (or so I suggest) at work, even if this principally involves the philosophy of inquiry itself.

  • Log in to post comments
Source URL: https://askphilosophers.org/question/25298?page=0
© 2005-2025 AskPhilosophers.org