A Coherentist Theory of Normative Authority Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • What makes an ``ought'' claim authoritative? What makes aparticular norm genuinely reason-giving for an agent? This paper arguesthat normative authority can best be accounted for in terms of thejustification of norms. The main obstacle to such a theory, however, isa regress problem. The worry is that every attempt to offer ajustification for an ``ought'' claim must appeal to another ``ought''claim, ad infinitum. The paper argues that vicious regress canbe avoided in practical reasoning in the same way coherentists avoid theproblem in epistemology. Norms are justified by their coherence withother norms.

published proceedings

  • The Journal of Ethics

author list (cited authors)

  • Radzik, L.

citation count

  • 2

complete list of authors

  • Radzik, Linda

publication date

  • January 2002