Beyond the 'Is-Ought' Divide: Naturalistic Solutions to Hume's Conundrum with Special Reference to John Searle

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Mukherjee Mukherjee
Assistant Professor of Philosophy in W.B.E.S,Chunaram Gobinda Memorial Govt. College, Purulia, West Bengal, India.(Former GGDC Manbazar-II) & Ph.D. Research Scholar, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
10.30470/phm.2025.726792
Abstract
This paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of Hume's Guillotine, a perennial problem in moral philosophy first identified by David Hume. The central objective of this inquiry is to explore potential solutions to this conundrum, grounded in a naturalistic framework. The paper is divided into four sections. The paper provides an overview of general naturalistic claims in ethics, establishing the foundational context for the subsequent discussion, delves into the 'is-ought' problem, a fundamental challenge in moral philosophy, and examines Hume's perspective on this issue & presents a critical analysis of various naturalistic approaches to addressing the 'is-ought' problem, with a focus on their strengths and limitations. The paper concludes with a synthesis of the key findings, offering a philosophical reflection on the implications of naturalistic solutions to Hume's Guillotine with special reference to John Searle

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