Theoretical and practical problems with wide reflective equilibrium in bioethics

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Moral Philosophy
• Epistemology

Background:

• Moral judgments require justification, with various theories proposed.
• Wide reflective equilibrium (WRE) is a prominent coherentist theory in bioethics.
• WRE aims to justify moral beliefs and propositions through a reflective process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the adequacy of wide reflective equilibrium for justifying moral beliefs.
• To identify and analyze theoretical and practical problems associated with WRE.
• To question the overall coherence-based approach to justification in bioethics.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of coherentism and wide reflective equilibrium.
• Examination of long-standing unresolved issues within reflective equilibrium.
• Assessment of practical challenges in applying the WRE method to bioethical cases and policies.

Main Results:

• A significant theoretical problem for reflective equilibrium remains inadequately resolved.
• Key arguments supporting wide reflective equilibrium are found to be unsuccessful.
• Practical application of WRE reveals challenges that undermine its viability for moral justification.

Conclusions:

• Wide reflective equilibrium is not a satisfactory method for justifying moral beliefs.
• The unresolved theoretical and practical issues cast doubt on the efficacy of WRE.
• The prominence of WRE suggests a broader challenge to coherentist justification in bioethics.