Constitutivism Workshop

Moral norms tell you to keep your promises, respect others, be sincere, and help those in need. But such norms can seem mysterious. What justifies their authority over us? Many philosophers reflecting about this foundational question of ethics have recently turned to metaethical constitutivism for an answer. According to an influential formulation, constitutivism is the view that we can justify the authority of moral norms by showing them to be internal to or constitutive of the nature of action and agency. However, with the rise of interest in constitutivism, skepticism about the project's viability has grown. Moreover, it's not clear exactly how constitutivism should be understood. One can now find Aristotelian, Humean, Kantian, and post-Kantian varieties of constitutivism. This workshop seeks to investigate the nature, varieties, and overall viability of metaethical constitutivism. To do so, it brings together some of the leading voices from these diverse traditions. 

This one day workshop is open to the public and free of charge. However, registration is necessary. Papers will be pre-circulated among participants and should be read in advance. Only a brief summary will be provided during the workshop.  To register, please visit the event's website. 

This workshop has been made possible by the generous support provided by UAlbany Philosophy Department, UAlbany's Conference Support Award, and the UAlbany Auxiliary Services.