The scientific study of morality versus moral philosophy

Neil J. MacKinnon

Chapter 2 in The Social Psychology of Morality, 2025, pp 20-26 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter deals with the distinction between the scientific study of morality and moral philosophy, focusing on the possibilities of moral truth and a value-free study of morality, comparing Abend's cautionary view of both possibilities with Boudon's more sanguine view. Abend makes his case by comparing Weber and Durkheim with respect to two principles: (1) that moral judgments can be neither true nor false because they are social constructions or the product of social practices; and (2) that the sociology of morality (and sociology in general) should be value-free, at least as an ideal to be pursued in practice. While the Weberian paradigm endorses these two principles, according to Abend, the Durkheimian paradigm rejects both, accepting the possibility of moral truth and rejecting the possibility of a value-free moral sociology. In defense of moral truth and value freedom, Boudon proposes a cognitive theory of morality based on Weber's concept of value rationality (axiology).

Keywords: Moral philosophy; Moral truth; Value freedom; Rationality; Axiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035364732
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