Dear All,

The next talk in the "Wittgenstein=steine" series is this Friday (June 13th) at 3pm in room NIG 3D.

The speaker is Konstantin Deininger, and his title is:

"On the Material and Formal Aspects of (Moral) Certainty".

Abstract:

Does morality have a binding character in the sense that chains of justification come to an end? In this talk, I will affirm this question and argue that we can plausibly distinguish between formal and material aspects of moral certainty. As a starting point, I will interpret Wittgenstein’s idea of “bedrock,” introduced in §217 of the Philosophical Investigations, as standing for the end of a chain of reasoning. In doing so, I align with certain Wittgensteinian interpreters who maintain that some chains of moral reasoning end with certainty. However, I will arrive at deviating conclusions by demonstrating that different kinds of moral certainties function in different ways. Wittgensteinian scholars such as Cora Diamond and Nigel Pleasants correctly identify the formal aspect of moral certainty, showing that some propositions resist justification and doubt. However, the candidates for formal certainties they propose do not fully satisfy the criteria of certainty. This, I argue, is due to their failure to adequately distinguish between the formal and material aspects of certainty. Material certainties, such as Diamond’s “slavery is unjust and insupportable” or Pleasants’ “killing is wrong,” remain intelligible to some extent and are thus subject to justification and doubt. Still, these propositions function as regress stoppers by putting an end to the chain of reasoning—but they do not mark the boundary of the unintelligible as formal certainties do. Drawing on Wittgenstein’s later writings, I will argue that only formal certainties—which I refer to as transcendental certainties—are entirely exempt from justification and doubt. I identify the principle “equals are to be treated equally” as a plausible candidate for transcendental certainty. This certainty is foundational to moral reasoning and enables moral thought. I illustrate its role through debates on justice in animal ethics.

Everybody welcome!

Best wishes from the organizers,

Esther Heinrich-Ramharter

Anja Weiberg

Martin Kusch