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Article ID: CBB000831711

Dolphin Natures, Human Virtues: MacIntyre and Ethical Naturalism (2008)

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Volume: 39
Pages: 292--297

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Science and ethics Naturalism (philosophy) Ethology Rationalism Animal behavior MacIntyre, Alasdair C.

Can biological facts explain human morality? Aristotelian `virtue' ethics has traditionally assumed so. In recent years Alasdair MacIntyre has reintroduced a form of Aristotle's `metaphysical biology' into his ethics.He argues that the ethological study of dependence and rationality in other species---dolphins in particular--- sheds light on how those same traits in the typical lives of humans give rise to the moral virtues. However, some goal-oriented dolphin behaviour appears both dependent and rational in the precise manner which impresses MacIntyre, yet anything but ethically `virtuous'. More damningly, dolphin ethologists consistently refuse to evaluate such behaviour in the manner MacIntyre claims is appropriate to moral judgement. In light of this, I argue that virtues---insofar as they name a biological or ethological category---do not name a morally significant one.

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