Morally we roll along : (optimistic reflections) on moral progress

Abstract

A number of themes are addressed below concerning the environment, nature, and implications of moral progress. Central to the account is the very credibility of moral progress itself, for we cannot suppose moral progress to have taken place without understanding what exactly it is. To get clear about this notion, some groundclearing is necessary. This concerns various general concepts of progress, some relevant and some not, which need sorting out. We must also consider, however briefly, other domains in which progress of the relevant sort seems to have taken place as well as domains where the notion of progress is more controversial. So, for example, whereas it seems reasonably unproblematic to argue that progress has occurred in natural science and technology, it is far less certain that progress has taken place in art or religion. If talk about moral progress makes any sense, it seems to fall amongst such practices as law and government. The question arises: if there is moral (or legal or political) progress at all, are we right in characterising it in terms of the progress typical of the sciences? If not, may there be another way of characterising it which preserves its progressive quality?