An internalist pluralist solution to the problem of religious and ethical diversity

Harrison, V.S. (2012) An internalist pluralist solution to the problem of religious and ethical diversity. Sophia: International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 51(1), pp. 71-86. (doi: 10.1007/s11841-011-0245-5)

Abstract

In our increasingly multicultural society there is an urgent need for a theory that is capable of making sense of the various philosophical difficulties presented by religious and ethical diversity—difficulties that, at first sight, seem to be remarkably similar. That there is a similarity should not surprise us, given that religious and ethical belief systems have evolved side-by-side. Given this similarity, a theory that successfully accounted for the difficulties raised by one form of plurality might also be of help in addressing those raised by the other, especially as religious belief systems are often inextricably linked with ethical belief systems. The three most common styles of response to religious and ethical plurality—which are characterised as, non-realism, provincialism and transcendentalism—are each attended by serious problems. I argue that an alternative response, “internalist pluralism”, can avoid the problems encountered by the other responses considered. The paper concludes that while providing a robust philosophical account of the widely differing claims made by religious believers resulting from the tremendous diversity of belief systems, internalist pluralism simultaneously yields a novel perspective on ethical diversity.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Harrison, Dr Victoria
• Authors: Harrison, V.S.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Philosophy
• Journal Name: Sophia: International Journal for Philosophy of Religion
• ISSN: 0038-1527
• Published Online: 01 January 2011