#1290 Matthew Lindauer: The Fruitfulness of Normative Concepts
RECORDED ON MAY 6th 2026.
Dr. Matthew Lindauer is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center, and an Associate Professor of Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is co-director of the PsyPhi Lab. He works in moral and political philosophy and moral psychology, often at the intersections of these fields. He is the author of The Fruitfulness of Normative Concepts.
In this episode, we focus on The Fruitfulness of Normative Concepts. We talk about the relationship between philosophy and science, the relationship between moral philosophy and moral psychology, and the relevance of science to ethics. We go through five dimensions of fruitfulness for normative concepts. We discuss whether the theory can be extended to non-normative concepts. We address objections and challenges to the theory. We discuss implications for the nature of moral motivation, implications for the duties to the global poor, and implications for the nature of justice in diverse multicultural societies. Finally, we talk about whether this theory can be brought together with traditional approaches in moral and political philosophy.
Time Links:
Intro
The main argument of the book
The relationship between philosophy and science
The relationship between moral philosophy and moral psychology
The relevance of science to ethics
Five dimensions of fruitfulness for normative concepts
Can the theory be extended to non-normative concepts?
Objections and challenges to the theory
Implications for the nature of moral motivation
Implications for the duties to the global poor
Implications for the nature of justice in diverse multicultural societies
Traditional approaches in moral and political philosophy
Follow Dr. Lindauer’s work!
Follow Dr. Lindauer’s work:
Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/49cxh6vt
Website: https://matthewlindauer.com/
PhilPeople profile: https://tinyurl.com/4dbae355
The Fruitfulness of Normative Concepts: https://tinyurl.com/yf7uvtkd