No determinate facts, no objective oughts?

Abstract According to objectivists, what we objectively ought to do depends on the facts. According to defenders of metaphysical indeterminacy, there are cases in which no determinate facts exist. What, then, ought we objectively to do when there are no determinate facts? This paper pursues two objectives in response to this question. The first is constructive: on behalf of the objectivist, we present two proposals for addressing what we call the ‘problem from metaphysical indeterminacy’. The second is critical: we argue that, despite their intuitive appeal and close alignment with prominent positions in the literature, neither proposal succeeds. We conclude that objectivists still owe us an account of what we objectively ought to do when no determinate facts obtain.

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Publication Details

Journal
Philosophical Studies
Published
2026-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-026-02615-w
Primary Topic
Philosophical Ethics and Theory
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

No determinate facts, no objective oughts?

Christine Tiefensee, Alessandra Marra
Philosophical Studies
Philosophical Ethics and Theory
article

No determinate facts, no objective oughts?

Christine Tiefensee, Alessandra Marra
article en

Abstract

Abstract According to objectivists, what we objectively ought to do depends on the facts. According to defenders of metaphysical indeterminacy, there are cases in which no determinate facts exist. What, then, ought we objectively to do when there are no determinate facts? This paper pursues two objectives in response to this question. The first is constructive: on behalf of the objectivist, we present two proposals for addressing what we call the ‘problem from metaphysical indeterminacy’. The second is critical: we argue that, despite their intuitive appeal and close alignment with prominent positions in the literature, neither proposal succeeds. We conclude that objectivists still owe us an account of what we objectively ought to do when no determinate facts obtain.

Philosophical Studies
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (DE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Philosophical Ethics and Theory
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