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1、20090423DJC6000+wordsEvolution,EfficiencyandEthics:aPlausibleConvergenceorEEEPCThisisaforayintometa-metaethics.I’lldiscussmeta-ethicalformsofthreetheories:evolutionary,economic,andsocialcontract.I’llarguethatthesetheoriesconvergeundercertainpossiblecircumstances,andthatthosecircumstanceshave
2、oftenbeenactual.FinallyI’llarguethatthereareplausiblenormativeconstrualsofthesocialcontractversionofthetheory,withtheconsequencethatweoughtfavorethicalsystemsthatallcouldendorse.SocialContractapproachestoethicshavealongishhistory,fromatleasttheSophistGlaucon[note1]throughHobbes,torecentRawls
3、,MackieandGauthier.Evolutionaryapproachestoethicsunderstandablyhaveamuchshorterhistory.Theyreceivedcriticaldiscussioninthe1890sbyThomasHuxley,wereunpopularformuchofthe20thCentury,buthaveseenaresurgenceinthelast20yearsorsowiththeriseofSociobiologyandEvolutionaryPsychology.Asiswell-known,socia
4、lcontractandevolutionaryapproachestoethicsfaceis-oughtproblemsiftheyattempttoprovideadeductivefoundationforethics.Whatevolutionhasfavored,andwhatoughttobe,maywellbedifferent,andindeedmany,includingHuxley,havethoughttheywereclearlyinconflict.Athirdtheory,economicefficiencyorsocialwealthmaximi
5、zation,isthemostrecentandleastpopularofthistrio.Itappearsitmayhavejustalonepublicsupporter,RichardPosner.Posner’sprimaryworkhasbeenineconomicsandlaw,wherehehasarguedthateconomicfactorsfromprehistorythroughthepresenthavedriventhehistoricaldevelopmentofcaselaw.Inafewplaces,notablyTheEconomicso
6、fJustice(1981),Posnerhasadvocatedeconomicefficiencyasabasisforethicalrulesaswellaslegalrules,andhasdistinguishedthisapproachfromutilitarianism.IamassumingtheWealthmaximizationviewistheleastfamiliarapproach,soIwilldescribeithereanddistinguishametaethicalformoftheeconomicapproachfromPosner’sow
7、naccount.Posner1981characterizeshisnormativegoalas:….todevelopamoraltheorythatgoesbeyondutilitarianismandholdsthatthecriterionforjudgingwhetheractsandinstitutionsarejustorgoodiswhethertheymaximizethewealthofsociety.Thisapproachallowsareconciliation
