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    Moore's moral conservatism is more parsimoniously reconci... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Moore should revise his consequentialism to hold that one ought to do the action one has reason to believe will produce the best consequences, rather than the action that actually will produce the best consequences.

    Moore's moral conservatism is more parsimoniously reconciled by indirect consequentialism—rule-following maximizes expected utility—without abandoning the objective criterion of actual best consequences.

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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Rule-following introduces epistemic humility: agents cannot reliably calculate actual consequences in real time, making rules a practical necessity.
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    • 2.Indirect consequentialism preserves Moore's objectivity by grounding rule-selection in actual utility maximization, not subjective intent or duties.
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    • 3.Conservative moral rules emerge naturally from consequentialist reasoning as they've proven reliable across generations of human experience.
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    Reasons Against

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    • 1.The gap between rule-following and actual best consequences is precisely where consequentialist commitment becomes ambiguous or abandoned in practice.
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    • 2.If rules diverge from actual consequences in specific cases, indirect consequentialism must either violate the rule or admit its theory fails its criterion.
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    • 3.Moore's conservatism likely stems from non-consequentialist premises about duty or intrinsic value, making consequentialist reconciliation artificially strained.
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    Key Terms

    Moore(Moore's proof refers to his famous argument for the existence of external objects)
    G.E. Moore was an influential 20th-century philosopher known for defending common sense claims (like 'this is a hand') against skeptical arguments that doubt what we can know about the world.
    actual best consequences(as the ultimate measure of morality in consequentialism)
    The real, factual outcomes that actually produce the most good or wellbeing, regardless of what anyone intended or expected.
    indirect consequentialism(Characterization of later Mohist ethics as distinct from rule consequentialism)
    A form of consequentialism that evaluates actions indirectly through models and social practices rather than directly through rules or principles
    moral conservatism(Moore's practical ethical guidance in Principia Ethica, later dropped in Ethics (1912))
    The recommendation that the conscientious individual should do the conventionally done thing, i.e., follow established moral norms
    objective criterion(as a way to measure what's morally right)
    A standard for judging something that's based on facts or reality rather than personal opinions or feelings.
    parsimoniously reconciled(describing how Moore's views can be understood)
    Explained or made compatible in the simplest, most straightforward way possible without unnecessary complications.
    rule-following maximizes expected utility(as the core principle of indirect consequentialism)
    The idea that sticking to general rules (like 'don't lie' or 'keep promises') tends to produce better outcomes than constantly trying to calculate what's best in each specific situation.

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    Consequentialism1 linked

    Related

    Conservative moral rules emerge naturally from consequentialist reasoning as the...If rules diverge from actual consequences in specific cases, indirect consequent...Indirect consequentialism preserves Moore's objectivity by grounding rule-select...Moore should revise his consequentialism to hold that one ought to do the action...

    Details

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    Moore's conservatism likely stems from non-consequentialist premises about duty ...Rule-following introduces epistemic humility: agents cannot reliably calculate a...The gap between rule-following and actual best consequences is precisely where c...