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Applied Ethics · Chapter 2

The Counterexample Workshop

The oldest tool in moral philosophy: propose a principle, then find a case where it says something almost nobody will accept. Fire cases at the principle below. Most will bounce — and why they bounce is the lesson. When one lands, you choose the repair, and every repair costs something.

1 · Choose a principle to test

2 · Fire a case at it

The principle under test

Bite 100
How much does this principle still rule out? A rule that permits everything predicts nothing.
Fit with our judgements 45
How many cases has it survived without giving a verdict we must reject?
WorkshopPick a case on the left. A good counterexample has three properties — it must be possible, clear, and targeted — and it must actually contradict the principle rather than merely embarrass it.