This thesis will critique Gilbert Harman's moral relativism. Harman argues for a form of moral relativism he calls a "conventionalist" account of morality. He supports this by defending a view of explanations, a view of simplicity, and a view of the moral "ought." However, the anthropological literature contains strong evidence against his drawing of this relativist conclusion — and in support of a contrary one. According to anthropologists, there is a universal belief in the moral wrongness of incest, the "incest taboo": its existence suggests that Harman may have better supported a form of moral realism than the relativism he endorses. Thus, at the very least, Harman's argument does not prove that relativism is true; more strongly, it may prove that relativism is false, and realism true.

This thesis will critique Gilbert Harman's moral relativism. Harman argues for a form of moral relativism he calls a "conventionalist" account of morality. He supports this by defending a view of explanations, a view of simplicity, and a view of the moral "ought." However, the anthropological literature contains strong evidence against his drawing of this relativist conclusion — and in support of a contrary one. According to anthropologists, there is a universal belief in the moral wrongness of incest, the "incest taboo": its existence suggests that Harman may have better supported a form of moral realism than the relativism he endorses. Thus, at the very least, Harman's argument does not prove that relativism is true; more strongly, it may prove that relativism is false, and realism true. / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

Cette étude porte sur la notion de raisonnement. L'hypothèse principale que je défends est que ce que l'on appelle communément un raisonnement comporte un aspect processuel et un aspect inférentiel. L'aspect processuel consiste dans le fait qu'un raisonnement est un enchaînement causal d'actes ou d'états mentaux, et l'aspect inférentiel consiste dans le fait que les états mentaux en question ont des contenus propositionnels qui peuvent entretenir entre eux des relations logiques. Lorsqu'on accepte cette distinction, il apparaît qu'une théorie adéquate du raisonnement doit expliquer comment ces deux aspects sont reliés. L'objectif de cette étude est d'examiner de quelle manière différentes approches du raisonnement traitent de la relation entre ces deux aspects. Cette thèse est divisée en quatre chapitres. Le premier chapitre, à caractère introductif, présente le contexte philosophique général dans lequel s'est posée la réflexion sur le raisonnement (pratique) au cours des dernières décennies. Le deuxième chapitre s'amorce par une analyse critique de la thèse d'Anscombe (1957) selon laquelle l'action est la conclusion de l'inférence pratique. J'y montre comment cette suggestion l'oblige à rendre compte du caractère processuel du raisonnement en termes inférentiels et qu'une telle solution conduit à une compréhension inadéquate de la relation entre les aspects processuel et inférentiel de ce type de raisonnement. Dans la section qui suit, je présente l'hypothèse qui est au coeur de cette étude: j'y explique ce qui distingue les aspects processuel et inférentiel du raisonnement en indiquant quelques conséquences qu'entraîne cette distinction dans l'étude du raisonnement. J'examine ensuite comment il serait plausible, à la lumière de la distinction introduite, de rendre justice à l'intuition d'Anscombe. Le troisième chapitre porte sur la conception du raisonnement de Harman (1986). Après avoir présenté sommairement l'esprit de sa théorie et les principes de révision qu'il identifie comme étant ceux que suivent ou doivent suivre les agents lorsqu'ils raisonnent (section 1), je tente ensuite de déterminer comment Harman conçoit cet aspect processuel, et si sa théorie permet d'expliquer de manière adéquate la relation entre les aspects processuel et inférentiel du raisonnement. J'examine d'abord quelle fonction il reconnaît aux notions d'implication et d'inconsistance, et montre ensuite que si le processus dans lequel s'engage celui qui raisonne peut être conçu à la manière de Harman, c'est-à-dire à la 3ème personne, il doit aussi être conçu du point de vue de l'agent qui raisonne, c'est-à-dire à la 1ère personne. Après avoir discuté des limites inhérentes au fait de concevoir l'aspect processuel du raisonnement d'un point de vue essentiellement externe, à la 3ème personne; j'identifie quelques conséquences que fait apparaître la perspective de la 1ère personne, dans le but de montrer pourquoi une théorie adéquate du raisonnement ne peut en faire l'économie. En dernière section, j'explore quelques conséquences de la distinction proposée, notamment quant à la question de savoir quelles notions pourraient être mises en parallèle à celles de prémisse, conclusion et validité lorsqu'il est question du raisonnement. Le quatrième chapitre porte sur la conception du raisonnement de John Broome. Après avoir exposé sommairement les thèses que défend Broome (1999, 2002) sur le terrain de la normativité puisqu'elles sont déterminantes dans sa théorie du raisonnement, je montre que la distinction qu'il établit entre un raisonnement de croyance et un raisonnement d'intention s'accorde (au moins en partie) avec la distinction raisonnement/argument suggérée (section 1). Je propose ensuite une analyse critique de la position qu'il défend dans Broome (2006b) en m'opposant à l'exigence de double expression qui est nécessaire, selon lui, pour pouvoir raisonner avec des attitudes autres que des croyances. Je montre qu'une telle conception du raisonnement est beaucoup trop exigeante, et qu'elle a le désavantage principal de faire en sorte que pour pouvoir raisonner avec des attitudes autres que des croyances, vous devez vous mettre en position de 3ème personne (section 2). Dans le cadre de la dernière section, je montre que la divergence entre nos conceptions respectives du raisonnement a son origine dans les thèses qu'il défend concernant la normativité de la rationalité et la normativité des raisons. J'identifie quelques-unes des conséquences de ces thèses pour une théorie du raisonnement. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Raisonnement, Argument, Inférence, Raisons, Rationalité, Normativité.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on April 16, 2008) Includes free thought references.

abstract: After surveying the literature on the normativity of logic, the paper answers that logic is normative for reasoning and rationality. The paper then goes on to discuss whether this constitutes a new problem in issues in normativity, and the paper affirms that it does. Finally, the paper concludes by explaining that the logic as model view can address this new problem. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Philosophy 2017

Book Summary: This award-winning multi-volume series is dedicated to making literature and its creators better understood and more accessible to students and interested readers, while satisfying the standards of librarians, teachers and scholars. Dictionary of Literary Biography provides reliable information in an easily comprehensible format, while placing writers in the larger perspective of literary history. Dictionary of Literary Biography systematically presents career biographies and criticism of writers from all eras and all genres through volumes dedicated to specific types of literature and time periods.

Proposed thesis is an attempt to summarise the term object in the work of American philosopher Graham Harman, he himself named Object oriented ontology. The accent will be given also to other terms such as realism, essence, quadruple dimension of object, withdrawal of object, intentionality, conception of time and space, emanation and others. It attempts to create a certain genealogy of those terms in the work of other authors (Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzche, Merleau-Ponty) and consequent comparison with the use of those terms in Harman's work. The aim is to create a certain critical overview of Harman's conception of o object and in general speculative realism theory and point out certain other approached to the classical subject-object dimension.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T20:23:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vera Lucia Cardim de Cerqueira.pdf: 1394476 bytes, checksum: 2b8280bfc334932711c7b5c1ca70fb2b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study intends to analyze the contributions of Samuel Harman Lowrie and Dina Lévi-Strauss to the Department of Culture of São Paulo during the period of administration of Mário de Andrade, between the years 1935 and 1938. Both were directly or indirectly representative of the theoretical thoughts and trends which provided a synthesis of the influences for Brazilian Social Sciences along the years: the North-American and the European lineages. The North-American sociologist Samuel Harman Lowrie was hired by the Escola Livre de Sociologia e Política and by the São Paulo City Administration, and developed a study in the area of Sociology and its practical applications, whereas the French ethnologist Dina Lévi-Strauss, with the support and trust from Mário de Andrade, conduced actions in the area of Ethnography, aiming at the possibility of obtaining reconnaissance in her professional life. During a short period, these two scholars allowed the simultaneity of theoretical reflections and practical actions in the universe of public policies, since they believed that Brazil was a favorable place for the development of scientific research / Este trabalho analisa as contribuições de Samuel Harman Lowrie e Dina Lévi-Strauss ao Departamento de Cultura de São Paulo na gestão de Mário de Andrade, entre 1935 e 1938. Foram representantes na época, direta ou indiretamente, do pensamento e das linhas teóricas, que ao longo do tempo conferiram o retrato síntese das influências das Ciências Sociais no Brasil: a norte-americana e a européia. Ele, norte-americano contratado pela Escola Livre de Sociologia e Política e pelo município de São Paulo, desenvolve trabalho voltado para a Sociologia e sua aplicação prática. Ela, etnóloga francesa conduz, sob o estímulo e confiança de Mário de Andrade, ações no campo da Etnografia, tendo em vista a possibilidade de obter reconhecimento em sua trajetória profissional. Durante um curto período, estes dois intelectuais tornaram viável a simultaneidade entre a reflexão teórica e a execução prática no universo das políticas públicas, por acreditarem ser o Brasil campo fértil para o desenvolvimento de estudos científicos

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:58:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vera Lucia Cardim de Cerqueira.pdf: 1394476 bytes, checksum: 2b8280bfc334932711c7b5c1ca70fb2b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study intends to analyze the contributions of Samuel Harman Lowrie and Dina Lévi-Strauss to the Department of Culture of São Paulo during the period of administration of Mário de Andrade, between the years 1935 and 1938. Both were directly or indirectly representative of the theoretical thoughts and trends which provided a synthesis of the influences for Brazilian Social Sciences along the years: the North-American and the European lineages. The North-American sociologist Samuel Harman Lowrie was hired by the Escola Livre de Sociologia e Política and by the São Paulo City Administration, and developed a study in the area of Sociology and its practical applications, whereas the French ethnologist Dina Lévi-Strauss, with the support and trust from Mário de Andrade, conduced actions in the area of Ethnography, aiming at the possibility of obtaining reconnaissance in her professional life. During a short period, these two scholars allowed the simultaneity of theoretical reflections and practical actions in the universe of public policies, since they believed that Brazil was a favorable place for the development of scientific research / Este trabalho analisa as contribuições de Samuel Harman Lowrie e Dina Lévi-Strauss ao Departamento de Cultura de São Paulo na gestão de Mário de Andrade, entre 1935 e 1938. Foram representantes na época, direta ou indiretamente, do pensamento e das linhas teóricas, que ao longo do tempo conferiram o retrato síntese das influências das Ciências Sociais no Brasil: a norte-americana e a européia. Ele, norte-americano contratado pela Escola Livre de Sociologia e Política e pelo município de São Paulo, desenvolve trabalho voltado para a Sociologia e sua aplicação prática. Ela, etnóloga francesa conduz, sob o estímulo e confiança de Mário de Andrade, ações no campo da Etnografia, tendo em vista a possibilidade de obter reconhecimento em sua trajetória profissional. Durante um curto período, estes dois intelectuais tornaram viável a simultaneidade entre a reflexão teórica e a execução prática no universo das políticas públicas, por acreditarem ser o Brasil campo fértil para o desenvolvimento de estudos científicos

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