Naturalizing Darwall's Second Person Standpoint

Area of Science:

• Moral Psychology
• Philosophy of Mind
• Social Cognition

Background:

• Darwall's analytical project posits that moral notions stem from second-person standpoints.
• This perspective involves mutually recognized agents making and acknowledging claims on one another.
• This framework offers a potential explanation for morality's distinctive authority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a naturalistic interpretation of Darwall's second-person standpoint theory.
• To address key issues in moral psychology, including motivation, intersubjectivity, and community limits.
• To provide a naturalized account of moral motivation and the emergence of community norms.

Main Methods:

• Naturalistic interpretation of Darwall's second-person standpoint.
• Analysis of intersubjective interactions and their relation to moral emotions.
• Examination of agent capabilities for second-personal interactions to define moral community limits.

Main Results:

• Moral norms motivate individuals due to second-personal relations.
• Effective intersubjective interactions ground duties and are linked to moral emotions.
• The moral community includes all agents capable of second-personal interactions.

Conclusions:

• Second-personal interactions are foundational to moral psychology and motivation.
• Community norms emerge through a triangulation process of mutually recognized and sanctioned demands.
• This naturalized approach offers a robust account of moral psychology and social normativity.