Justifying Morality, Part I: Bernard Gert's Justification

Abstract

According to one critic, Bernard Gerts work may very well be the best and most significant contribution to general substantive theoretical ethics produced in the twentieth century. Another has ranked Gerts work with that of Kurt Baier and John Rawls. Although there is a substantial body of commentary on Gerts work, little of it has been devoted to his attempt to justify morality. This is unfortunate, given Gerts claim that the justification of morality is the primary task of his Morality: Its Nature and Justification. In Part I of this two-part article, we will examine and assess the justicatory element of Gerts account of the moral system. We will see that Gerts justification is successful, but limited.