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Theoretical and practical problems with wide reflective equilibrium in bioethics.

Carson Strong¹

¹Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 956 Court Avenue, Suite G212, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. cstrong@uthsc.edu

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics

|April 2, 2010

Summary

This study challenges wide reflective equilibrium, a key theory in bioethics for justifying moral beliefs. The research argues this approach faces unresolved theoretical and practical issues, questioning its viability for moral judgments.

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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.