Moral Contract Theory and Social Cognition by Peter Timmerman

Author:Peter Timmerman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

5.2 Gather Information About Alternative Standpoints

Lack of information is one of the main reasons why persons may overlook alternative standpoints towards a moral principle or fail to identify objections associated with them. Gathering information about others and their situations is thus an obvious way to decrease the probability of erring with the contract test. This section discusses several ways to improve our information about others. The aim is to assess to what extent persons can in this way reduce the risk of making mistakes with the contract test. I shall distinguish between improving one’s understanding of alternative standpoints through gathering information while applying the test and doing so by improving one’s background knowledge.2

Say I am applying the contract test to decide whether I ought to help another person who asks for my assistance. Assume also that I lack certain relevant information about this person’s standpoint, and that this would lead me to draw a mistaken conclusion. Can I prevent this by gathering additional information? There appear to be several things I can do. In so far as I have not already done so, I may through careful observation become better informed about aspects of the other person’s situation that influence how he would be affected were I not to help him. Moreover, I may gather information through communicating with him. Communication with those who would be affected by one’s actions can inform one about characteristics that would influence how they would be affected, including characteristics that may otherwise have remained out of view. For example, through conversation I may learn about the other’s needs, and about the importance for him of being helped.

There is also an important role for third parties here. Third parties may have additional information about standpoints one ought to take into account. To take another example, say I am considering whether it is permitted not to donate to aid organisations such as Oxfam. Third parties, including media such as newspapers, may provide information about the situations of those depending on aid and how they would be affected were such aid to discontinue. This includes the information that these people exist. Indeed, consulting third parties may often be crucial for identifying points of view that one would overlook due to a lack of information.

Through observation and communication agents can thus extend the information available to them when applying the contract test. They can thereby improve their understanding of the principles appropriate to their situation, and of alternative standpoints towards these principles. Such information gathering can thus reduce the risk of drawing a mistaken conclusion.

There are, however, obvious limitations to this method. For one, it may not be practically possible to gather information. There may be little or no opportunity for either observation or communication, for example due to constraints of time or distance. There may be no third parties available with relevant information.

There is also a more principled problem. Persons may often not be aware that they lack an important piece of information. A clear example of

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