A New Approach of Wide Reflective Equilibrium-from the Perspective of Morality as Cooperation

Abstract

This review discussed a possible combination of Justice as Fairness and Morality as Cooperation. The concept of Justice as Fairness, which was introduced by the renowned philosopher John Rawls, advocates for the use of wide reflective equilibrium as a tool to derive and establish the fundamental principles that should govern a just society. In this process, Rawls suggests that we should not only consider our own moral intuitions but also engage with the perspectives and reasoning of others, including various philosophical theories and arguments. The theory of Justice as Fairness, with its emphasis on wide reflective equilibrium, thus provides a structured yet flexible approach to moral and political philosophy. There are, however, sociological and epistemic difficulties in implementing its social blueprint, thereby giving evolutionary psychology and game theory chances to participate in formulating justice, as Oliver Curry had proposed in his theory of Morality as Cooperation. This review relates Curry’s moral molecule model and evolutionary game theory as substitutes for Rawls’ Fairness principles and original position in wide reflective equilibrium. It justifies their practical advantage, and by replacing the disadvantaged concepts with their counterparts, this review aims to produce a method with the characterization of being instinctively highly accepted with simpler methodologies; thus, this review looks to inspire future directions of moral psychology and philosophy.