作为伦理学方法的反思平衡:意义与局限

在西方道德哲学史上,占统治地位的道德论证方法一直是某种形式的基础主义。与之相对,在真理论的融贯论启发下,罗尔斯提出了道德规范论证的一种新的合理性标准,即融贯论标准,并实践了一种新的规范证明方法:反思平衡方法。反思平衡方法试图为深陷困境的西方道德哲学寻找一条摆脱危局的思路。它激发了二十世纪后期西方道德哲学的繁荣局面。但是这一方法很难成为主流,这是因为,基础主义作为西方哲学和文化的传统,仍然很牢固,同时它本身也存在诸多问题。

On the Reflective Equilibrium: Its Meaning and Limitation

In the West,foundationalism is the dominant method in the long history of ethical reasoning and moral justification.But after the Enlightenment,this method has been constantly criticized.Under this circumstance,Rawls put forward a new criterion of rationality: coherentism.And he employed a new method of moral justification: reflective equilibrium.The use of the method helped him in the success of his theory of justice,and it is enlightening.But the method has its limitations.