Conceptual Negotiation for a Better Future: An Ethical and Conceptual Investigation

The aim of this project is to offer a theory of conceptual negotiation, that is, the philosophical process of securing a better understanding of our ever-changing social, ethical, political, and economic realities through the articulation of novel concepts and the study of future scenarios. The Project is divided into three parts. In the first one, we will propose a notion of conceptual analysis that, in contrast to the received view, allows us to account for two crucial features of conceptual negotiation: the ability to incorporate new empirical data and the ability to simulate future scenarios by means of counterfactual thinking. The second part of the Project will focus on how one’s conception of nomological possibility is reflected in the mental simulation of future scenarios. We will study the role of contemporary physics (i) in ruling out mental scenarios that, despite appearances, are physically impossible, and (ii) in enabling mental scenarios that, despite appearances, are physically possible. This will allow us to clarify how one’s conception of nomological possibility shapes conceptual negotiation. The third part of the Project will be devoted to the constraints imposed by moral judgement on the assessment of the ethically admissible futures. By exploiting a non-reductionist understanding of moral judgement (in the framework of a non-perfectionist anthropological view), we will highlight the role of moral reasoning in setting the stage for conceptual negotiation.