Where Should Moral Philosophy Begin? by Avram Hiller (Portland State University)

Avram Hiller (Portland State University)

How should one live? Why be moral? These questions are commonly used as the points of departure for moral theorizing. Although they are of course deeply important, I argue that they misdirect moral theory. First, they focus primarily on agents—ones who act—rather than those who are acted upon. Second, they concern agents as individuals rather than collectives. I discuss how the individualistic agent-centered approach has had a distorting effect on moral theory, and propose an alternative methodology focusing on those affected by actions and institutions.