Table Of Content

Meaning and Morality Studies in Moral Philosophy Series Editor Thom Brooks (Newcastle University) Editorial Board Chrisoula Andreou (University of Utah) Mark Bevir (University of California, Berkeley) Clare Chambers (University of Cambridge) Fabian Freyenhagen (University of Essex) Tim Mulgan (University of St Andrews) Ian Shapiro (Yale University) VOLUME 3 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/simp Meaning and Morality Essays on the Philosophy of Julius Kovesi Edited by Alan Tapper and T. Brian Mooney LEIDEN • BOSTON 2012 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Meaning and morality : essays on the philosophy of Julius Kovesi / edited by Alan Tapper and T. Brian Mooney. p. cm. -- (Studies in moral philosophy, ISSN 2211-2014 ; v. 3) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-21808-6 (hardback : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-90-04-23255-6 (e-book : alk. paper) 1. Kovesi, Julius. 2. Ethics--Australia. 3. Kovesi, Julius. Moral notions. I. Tapper, Alan. II. Mooney, T. Brian. BJ977.A8M33 2012 170.92--dc23 2012019251 This publication has been typeset in the multilingual “Brill” typeface. With over 5,100 characters covering Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities. For more information, please see www.brill.nl/brill-typeface. ISSN 2211-2014 ISBN 978 90 04 21808 6 (hardback) ISBN 978 90 04 23255 6 (e-book) Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Global Oriental, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers and Martinus Nijhofff Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. This book is printed on acid-free paper. CONTENTS Volume Foreword .....................................................................................................vii Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................ix List of Contributors ..................................................................................................xi Introduction ................................................................................................................1 Alan Tapper and T. Brian Mooney Prologue: Memories of Julius Kovesi .................................................................15 Anthony Kenny 1. Kovesi’s Refutation of Hume ..........................................................................19 Bernard Harrison 2. Kovesi’s Moral Point of View ..........................................................................43 R. E. Ewin 3. Kovesi, Connaturality, and the Metaphysics and Epistemology of Virtues ..................................................................................59 T. Brian Mooney, Mark Nowacki and John N. Williams 4. Moral Notions and Originality and Some Examples: Reflections on Kovesi .......................................................................................85 Peter A. French 5. What’s Morality Got To Do With It? Making the Right Distinctions ...........................................................................................107 Jean Bethke Elshtain 6. MacIntyre and Kovesi on the Nature of Moral Concepts ....................123 R. E. Ewin and Alan Tapper 7. Kovesi and Legal Reasoning .........................................................................139 Dennis Patterson 8. Kovesi and Searle: Thinking in Parallel? ...................................................143 James Doughney vi contents 9. Kovesi on Natural World Concepts and the Theory of Meaning .....................................................................................................167 Alan Tapper 10. Kovesi’s Concepts and Plato’s Ideas ........................................................189 T. Brian Mooney and Lee Churchman Index .........................................................................................................................219 VOLUME FOREWORD Studies in Moral Philosophy is a series afffĳiliated with the Journal of Moral Philosophy that will publish new books in all areas of normative philosophy. The series seeks to promote lively discussions and debates among the wider philosophical community by publishing work that avoids unneces- sary jargon without sacrifĳicing academic rigour. It is highly fĳitting to publish this collection of essays in the Studies in Moral Philosophy book series. The work of Julius Kovesi has exerted a clear impact on moral philosophy for many decades, but there has lacked a defĳining collection dedicated to examining his work. This important study fĳills this gap while breaking new ground with essays by some of the leading philosophers today covering an impressive range of topics. I have no doubt that moral philosophers will profĳit from these pages in addition to those already engaged with Kovesi’s writings in a collection that should set the bar for all future work on this topic. Thom Brooks, Series Editor Newcastle University ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Alan Tapper is grateful for the encouragement and help of Bob Ewin, Bernard Harrison, Janet Kovesi Watt, Ted Watt, Chris Ulyatt, Nick Tapper, David Ryan (since deceased), Stephan Millett, Michael Peters, all the members of our regular noodle nights, and—most especially—Robin Tapper. Thanks also to the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University for its generous support in 2008. Alan Tapper Brian Mooney is grateful for the support of the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University which provided fĳinancial seeding help when the project that issued in this book commenced several years ago. Michael Peters and Alasdair MacIntyre have been invaluable sources of material and moral support. As always my thanks to Pat, Fionnuala and Thomas. T. Brian Mooney