Elizabeth Anderson is a Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan.
Abstract
During the 19th century, the belief that individuals have a right against being enslaved became a nearly worldwide consensus. Most people today believe that this change in moral convictions was a case of moral learning. How we can know this, or similar claims about moral progress, without begging the question in favor of our current beliefs?
I answer this question by developing a naturalized, pragmatist moral epistemology through case studies of moral lessons people have drawn from the history of abolition and emancipation. I argue that processes of contention, in which participants challenge existing moral and legal principles governing interpersonal relationships, play critical roles in moral learning. Contention may take the form of argument, but takes many other forms as well, including litigation, protest, and revolution.
