''Ethical Intuitionism'' is a 2005 book (hardcover release: 2005, paperback release: 2008) by

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...

philosophy professor

Michael Huemer Michael Huemer (; born December 27, 1969) is an American professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has defended ethical intuitionism, direct realism, metaphysical libertarianism, phenomenal conservatism, substance d ...

, defending

ethical intuitionism Ethical intuitionism (also called moral intuitionism) is a view or family of views in moral epistemology (and, on some definitions, metaphysics). It is foundationalism applied to moral knowledge, the thesis that some moral truths can be known n ...

. The book expands on Huemer's early writing defending

moral realism Moral realism (also ethical realism) is the position that ethical sentences express propositions that refer to objective features of the world (that is, features independent of subjective opinion), some of which may be true to the extent that t ...

Reception

Reviews in academic publications

The book was reviewed by David McNaughton of

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

in ''Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews.'' The review was generally positive and concluded thus: "This book has many merits. It is generally clear, well-argued, timely, and thought-provoking. Not the least of its merits, however, is that it contains a large element of truth. Huemer is understandably frustrated that so many people still misrepresent intuitionism and fail to take it seriously. But it is making a return, and currently has more proponents than he sometimes seems to suggest. His book should help create some more." However, McNaughton's review was critical of Huemer's

phenomenal conservatism In epistemology, phenomenal conservatism (PC) holds that it is reasonable to assume that things are as they appear, except when there are positive grounds for doubting this. (The term derives from the Greek word "phainomenon", meaning "appearance" ...

and suggested that doxastic conservatism would have been more convincing. Mark Schroeder of the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

reviewed the book in ''

Philosophy and Phenomenological Research ''Philosophy and Phenomenological Research'' (''PPR'') is a bimonthly philosophy journal founded in 1940. Until 1980, it was edited by Marvin Farber, then by Roderick Chisholm, and since 1986 by Ernest Sosa. It considers itself open to a variety ...

''. Schroder defended his metaethical perspective, reductive realism, against Huemer's criticisms, noting that one could be a realist while rejecting the dualist metaphysics that underpinned Huemer's analysis. The book was also reviewed by Noah Lemos in ''Mind'', a journal published by

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, in April 2008.

References

{{reflist 2005 non-fiction books Contemporary philosophical literature Ethics books Palgrave Macmillan books Philosophical realism