b. 1949
David B. Wong is an American philosopher at Duke University whose work spans metaethics, moral psychology, and comparative Chinese philosophy. He is best known for defending a pluralistic moral relativism that holds multiple moral frameworks can be equally valid, and for bringing analytic rigor to the study of Confucian and Daoist ethics. His scholarship bridges Western and Chinese philosophical traditions, particularly examining figures such as Mencius and Xunzi.
Developed a pluralistic moral relativism arguing multiple moral frameworks can be equally adequate in 'Natural Moralities' (2006)
Advanced scholarly understanding of the Mencius–Xunzi debate over human nature and moral cultivation
Integrated analytic metaethics with classical Chinese philosophical texts
Argued for a naturalistic, psychologically grounded account of moral motivation in Confucian ethics
Contributed to cross-cultural moral philosophy by showing Chinese ethics addresses problems central to Western moral theory