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  • © 2016

The Normative and the Natural

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Presents an original contribution to the field of moral normativity, while drawing from the work of important philosophers within pragmatism

  • Offers insight from leaders in the field of moral normativity

  • Includes a detailed review of the extensive existing literature on normativity

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xviii
  2. Naturalist Themes

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 1-34
  3. Why Do We Need Normativity?

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 35-59
  4. Against Supervenience and Reductionist Accounts of Normativity

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 61-104
  5. Truth and Pluralism

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 105-137
  6. Interests, Embodiment, and Constraint by the World

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 139-177
  7. Action-Guiding Content

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 179-220
  8. Objectivity and Normative Discourse

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 221-263
  9. Unity without Uniformity: Cross-Discourse Contribution

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 265-300
  10. Weaving the Normative and Non-Normative Together

    • Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons
    Pages 301-332
  11. Back Matter

    Pages 333-342

About this book

Drawing on a rich pragmatist tradition, this book offers an account of the different kinds of ‘oughts’, or varieties of normativity, that we are subject to contends that there is no conflict between normativity and the world as science describes it.  The authors argue that normative claims aim to evaluate, to urge us to do or not do something, and to tell us how a state of affairs ought to be. These claims articulate forms of action-guidance that are different in kind from descriptive claims, with a wholly distinct practical and expressive character. This account suggests that there are no normative facts, and so nothing that needs any troublesome shoehorning into a scientific account of the world. This work explains that nevertheless, normative claims are constrained by the world, and answerable to reason and argumentation, in a way that makes them truth-apt and objective.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Washington, PA, USA

    Michael P. Wolf

  • Doha, Qatar

    Jeremy Randel Koons

About the authors

Michael P. Wolf is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Washington and Jefferson College, US.  He has published extensively in the philosophy of language and epistemology.

Jeremy Randel Koons is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.  He has published widely in epistemology, metaethics, philosophy of religion, and other areas.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Normative and the Natural

  • Authors: Michael P. Wolf, Jeremy Randel Koons

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33687-9

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-33686-2Published: 09 September 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-81573-2Published: 12 June 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-33687-9Published: 31 August 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVIII, 342

  • Number of Illustrations: 4 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Moral Philosophy, Pragmatism

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access