Spectrum arguments are incredible

Abstract Some philosophers have presented arguments that the all-things-considered-better-than relation admits of cycles. The most prominent arguments for this conclusion are spectrum arguments. Whether or not any spectrum arguments are sound is a topic of debate among value theorists. In this paper, I consider whether they are credible or incredible, i.e., whether or not there is anything of a distinctively epistemic character that is wrong with believing all of the premises of a spectrum argument. I focus on one representative spectrum argument, the Pleasure-Sequence Spectrum Argument, or “PSSA,” and argue that whether or not the PSSA is sound, you ought not be such that you believe all of its premises. This particular result supports the general lesson that spectrum arguments are incredible.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
The Philosophical Quarterly
Published
2025-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/pq/pqaf037
Primary Topic
Ethics in medical practice
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Spectrum arguments are incredible

Michael Rabenberg
The Philosophical Quarterly
Ethics in medical practice
article

Spectrum arguments are incredible

Michael Rabenberg
article en

Abstract

Abstract Some philosophers have presented arguments that the all-things-considered-better-than relation admits of cycles. The most prominent arguments for this conclusion are spectrum arguments. Whether or not any spectrum arguments are sound is a topic of debate among value theorists. In this paper, I consider whether they are credible or incredible, i.e., whether or not there is anything of a distinctively epistemic character that is wrong with believing all of the premises of a spectrum argument. I focus on one representative spectrum argument, the Pleasure-Sequence Spectrum Argument, or “PSSA,” and argue that whether or not the PSSA is sound, you ought not be such that you believe all of its premises. This particular result supports the general lesson that spectrum arguments are incredible.

The Philosophical Quarterly
Openalex Percentile: Top 87%
Ethics in medical practice
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.