Cognitive neuroscience and moral epistemology: on the irreductibility of knowing-how to knowing-that

Authors

  • Darlei Dall'Agnol Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, S.C.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1677-2954.2020v19n1p49

Abstract

This paper shows that moral knowing-how is non-reducible to knowing-that, that is, to propositional knowledge. Taking into consideration the main contributions of cognitive neuroscience to moral epistemology, it argues that moral knowing-how cannot be analyzed in terms of knowing-that. Afterwards, it criticizes the recent attempts, specially made by Stanley, to show that all knowledge is propositional. Finally, the paper illustrates how moral knowledge can be found in attitudes such as knowing-how to take of a vulnerable individual, knowing-how to respect a person etc. The conclusion then is that moral knowledge is not identical with factual knowledge.

 

Author Biography

Darlei Dall'Agnol, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, S.C.

Darlei Dall 'Agnol possui Graduação e Especialização em Filosofia pela Universidade de Caxias do Sul (RS) onde também atuou como professor (1987-1993). Fez Mestrado em Filosofia - Ética - na UFRGS e Doutorado em Filosofia (PhD) - Ética - na University of Bristol, Inglaterra. Fez pós-doutorado em metaética na University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (US). Foi chefe dos Departamentos de Filosofia da UCS e da UFSC e Coordenador do Néfipo - Núcleo de Ética e Filosofia Política da UFSC. Fundou e foi o primeiro editor das revistas Conjectura e Ethic@ e, hoje, coordena a Série Ethica pela EdUFSC. Publicou vários livros na área de Ética e possui inúmeros artigos e capítulos de livros publicados no Brasil e no exterior (Inglaterra, Estados Unidos, Alemanha, Áustria, Portugual). Desde 1994, é professor da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina e, recentemente (2007-2011) atuou na Coordenação do Pós-Graduação em Filosofia (Mestrado e Doutorado) da UFSC. Atualmente, participa do projeto de investigação "Formas de vida y cultura: Wittgenstein y el relativismo" coordenado pelo Professor Catedrático SanFélix Vidarte, da Universitat De València, España. Desde 2004, é Pesquisador do CNPq.

References

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Published

2020-05-20

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2020)

Section

Articles

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