Date of Award

8-23-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Philosophy

Advisor(s)

Hille Paakkunainen

Keywords

Constructivism;Hobbes;Normativity

Abstract

Constructivism in metaethics asserts that moral truths are constructed from human attitudes and reasons rather than existing independently of them. “Why should I be moral?” is a philosophical question that is often taken for granted, but answering it is paramount in our society. This question, coined by Christine Korsgaard as the normative question, is one of the central projects of constructivists and moral philosophers in general. One long-standing but controversial answer is that there is a self-interested benefit to being moral. One of the best known proponents of this idea in the history of political philosophy was Thomas Hobbes. This thesis takes inspiration from the Hobbesian contract tradition to develop a constructivist theory that vindicates morality such that we can answer the normative question. Hobbesian constructivism claims that morality enables us to live without constant fear of facing disadvantage or grievous harm. Despite the promise of this approach, it is often overlooked in favor of Kantian and Humean constructivism. The lack of compelling and unproblematic arguments for individual compliance from a Hobbesian perspective is a major contributing factor to it falling out of favor in recent years. My thesis aims to revitalize the Hobbesian tradition in moral constructivism by arguing there is self-interested benefit not in acting morally as a rational choice, but in adopting a “moral disposition” that will be transformative on our ends such that we are motivated to care for others. With this “moral disposition” account I offer an interesting argument for compliance and against free riders to further demonstrate that a Hobbesian constructivism can offer a plausible and unproblematic answer to the question above.

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Open Access

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