The Size of the Universe Against Robust Realism

Does the vast and empty universe have metaethical upshots, perhaps supporting metaethical nihilism or at least counting against robust moral realism? Philosophers have not been kind to this cliché, and most think that Thomas Nagel and Guy Kahane refuted it. I argue, using Inference to Best Explanation, that the huge empty skies should indeed make us less confident that anything robustly matters.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Ethics
Published
2025-12-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1086/738320
Primary Topic
Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

The Size of the Universe Against Robust Realism

Luke Elson
Ethics
Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
article

The Size of the Universe Against Robust Realism

Luke Elson
article en

Abstract

Does the vast and empty universe have metaethical upshots, perhaps supporting metaethical nihilism or at least counting against robust moral realism? Philosophers have not been kind to this cliché, and most think that Thomas Nagel and Guy Kahane refuted it. I argue, using Inference to Best Explanation, that the huge empty skies should indeed make us less confident that anything robustly matters.

EthicsVol. 136(2)
Openalex Percentile: Top 71%
Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
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The Size of the Universe Against Robust Realism — Luke Elson · Ethics (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS