LEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY

The paper explores Wróblewski’s classical distinction between internal and external justification, highlighting two interpretations. According to the first, a decision is internally justified if it follows from the chosen premises and externally justified if those premises are also justified. From...

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Main Author: Jorge L. Rodríguez
Format: Article
Language:Bosnian
Published: Serbian Association for Legal and Social Philosophy 2025-02-01
Series:Eudaimonia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://epub.ius.bg.ac.rs/index.php/eudaimonia/article/view/631
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author Jorge L. Rodríguez
author_facet Jorge L. Rodríguez
author_sort Jorge L. Rodríguez
collection DOAJ
description The paper explores Wróblewski’s classical distinction between internal and external justification, highlighting two interpretations. According to the first, a decision is internally justified if it follows from the chosen premises and externally justified if those premises are also justified. From this perspective, some theorists have claimed that internal justification suffices for easy cases, while hard cases require external justification. However, it will be shown that this is a mistake arising from an ambiguity in the term “justification”, and clarifying this ambiguity reveals that both easy and hard cases require the same kind of justification. In the second interpretation, a decision is internally justified if it is derived from existing law and externally justified if its content is morally acceptable. This leads to an examination of the relationship between legal and moral justification. In this regard, Carlos Nino's claim that legal reasoning is a form of moral reasoning will be critically assessed by showing that it ultimately conflates the nature of norms with the nature of the reasons for their acceptance. Finally, it will be argued that moral objectivism is irrelevant for strong justification of judicial decisions (which requires valid reasoning with correct premises). Metaethical scepticism does not undermine substantive moral judgments or weaken moral debate, just as metaethical objectivism does not strengthen them.
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spelling doaj-art-a9de252067484cc7bb3d71ace6db002e2025-02-08T01:08:11ZbosSerbian Association for Legal and Social PhilosophyEudaimonia2560-36632025-02-018210.51204/IVRS_24208ALEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITYJorge L. Rodríguez0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1992-0101National University of Mar del Plata The paper explores Wróblewski’s classical distinction between internal and external justification, highlighting two interpretations. According to the first, a decision is internally justified if it follows from the chosen premises and externally justified if those premises are also justified. From this perspective, some theorists have claimed that internal justification suffices for easy cases, while hard cases require external justification. However, it will be shown that this is a mistake arising from an ambiguity in the term “justification”, and clarifying this ambiguity reveals that both easy and hard cases require the same kind of justification. In the second interpretation, a decision is internally justified if it is derived from existing law and externally justified if its content is morally acceptable. This leads to an examination of the relationship between legal and moral justification. In this regard, Carlos Nino's claim that legal reasoning is a form of moral reasoning will be critically assessed by showing that it ultimately conflates the nature of norms with the nature of the reasons for their acceptance. Finally, it will be argued that moral objectivism is irrelevant for strong justification of judicial decisions (which requires valid reasoning with correct premises). Metaethical scepticism does not undermine substantive moral judgments or weaken moral debate, just as metaethical objectivism does not strengthen them. https://epub.ius.bg.ac.rs/index.php/eudaimonia/article/view/631Formal and Material CorrectnessLegal AdjudicationMethaethicsMoral Objectivism
spellingShingle Jorge L. Rodríguez
LEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY
Eudaimonia
Formal and Material Correctness
Legal Adjudication
Methaethics
Moral Objectivism
title LEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY
title_full LEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY
title_fullStr LEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY
title_full_unstemmed LEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY
title_short LEGAL ADJUDICATION, MATERIAL CORECCTNESS, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY
title_sort legal adjudication material corecctness and moral objectivity
topic Formal and Material Correctness
Legal Adjudication
Methaethics
Moral Objectivism
url https://epub.ius.bg.ac.rs/index.php/eudaimonia/article/view/631
work_keys_str_mv AT jorgelrodriguez legaladjudicationmaterialcorecctnessandmoralobjectivity