Yang Xiao & Yong Huang 
Moral Relativism and Chinese Philosophy 
David Wong and His Critics

Original, influential, and often controversial, ethicist David Wong defends forms of moral relativism. His 1984
Moral Relativity was a study of this concept, and his 2006
Natural Moralities presented a new and sophisticated account of it. Wong’s vision is of a pluralistic moral relativism; he does not defend all forms of relativism but evaluates what moralities may be true. His singular philosophy reflects his deep knowledge of Confucian and Daoist thought.



In this book, moral philosophers and scholars of Chinese thought debate ideas central to Wong’s work and Wong responds to them. The discussion ranges widely, including exploring Wong’s thought on naturalism, criteria for moralities, the principle of charity, moral authority, and the concept of community, and looking at his readings of Xunzi and Zhuangzi. Wong’s nuanced and forceful responses clarify and develop further arguments in his work. These engaging and critical exchanges between Wong and his critics illuminate not only Wong’s thought, but also contemporary ethical theory and Chinese philosophy.

Table of Content

Preface



1. Introduction


Yong Huang and Yang Xiao




Part I: Critical Essays



2. Human Morality, Naturalism, and Accommodation


Lawrence Blum



3. Naturalism and Pluralistic Relativism


Steven F. Geisz and Brook J. Sadler



4. Principle of Humanity vs. Principle of Charity


Chad Hansen



5. Naturalism, Relativism, and the Authority of Morality


Christopher W. Gowans



6. The Metaphysics and Semantics of Moral Relativism


Paul Bloomfield and Daniel Massey



7. Toward a Benign Moral Relativism: From Agent/Appraiser-Centered to the Patient-Centered


Yong Huang




Part II: David Wong’s Responses to Critics



8. Response to Blum



9. Response to Geisz and Sadler



10. Response to Hansen



11. Response to Gowans



12. Response to Bloomfield and Massey



13. Response to Huang



Contributors

Index

About the author

Yang Xiao is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Kenyon College.
Yong Huang is Professor of Philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is the author of
Religious Goodness and Political Rightness: Beyond the Liberal-Communitarian Debate and
Confucius: A Guide for the Perplexed and editor of
Rorty, Pragmatism, and Confucianism: With Responses by Richard Rorty, also published by SUNY Press.