
"Does Studying Ethics Make People More Ethical?"
Abstract: Does philosophical reasoning influence real-world moral behavior? Empirical data on the moral behavior of ethics professors suggests maybe not. However, I will present some new data on the influence of philosophical instruction and argument on meat eating and on charitable giving which suggests that under some conditions, philosophical argumentation might have a real-world influence. All conclusions are tentative, without warranty, and to be used at your own risk.
Eric Schwitzgebel Professor at the University of California, Riverside,