David Wong is a contemporary American philosopher at Duke University whose work centers on moral relativism, metaethics, and comparative Sino-Western philosophy. He is best known for defending a pluralistic moral relativism that acknowledges genuine cross-cultural moral disagreement while resisting the conclusion that morality is merely subjective. His scholarship on Confucian ethics—particularly the competing views of Mencius and Xunzi on human nature—has made him a leading voice in comparative philosophical ethics.
Developed pluralistic moral relativism in 'Natural Moralities: A Defense of Pluralistic Relativism' (2006)
Authored 'Moral Relativity' (1984), an early systematic defense of relativism in Anglo-American philosophy
Advanced comparative analysis of Mencius and Xunzi on moral psychology and human nature
Integrated Confucian ethical frameworks into Western metaethical debates
Contributed foundational work on moral disagreement and the possibility of cross-cultural ethical dialogue