Moral Reasons

We can rationally justify and give reasons for Moral Facts. These reasons could be:

• Moral requirements/obligations
• Moral virtues
• Morally good outcomes

Contrast

Arbitrary rules like the rules of chess or monopoly. These are hard to justify to because they were probably made with no reason in the first place.

Reason ←> Obligation Connections

Reasons Internalism

The idea that there is a connection between moral obligations and the existance of reasons.

Reason Creation

Reason can either be created by;

• Itself
• The recognition of a requirement * (The most widely accepted reason)
• The presence of an unrecognized requirement

Reasons Externalism

There is no requirement to have a reason to act out moral obligations

Obligation Application / Reason Intensity

• Modern internalism allows any reason to be justification for obligation. This can lead to irrational decisions where the reason is against the obligation, but ‘leads’ to it anyways.
• New internalism now relies on sufficient reason to justify doing the act, so it is always rationally permissable. In the case of a madman ordering you to do something, you may see there is no reason for you to do it. Since,, there is no reason, there is no obligation. For Objective Morality to exist, the reasons for the obligation must apply to you. You must have some justification for doing what morality asks of us.