Philosophical Groundwork for the Theory of Morality as Cooperation

Abstract

A novel theory named Morality as Cooperation (MAC) theory has proposed a different perspective in the study of morality, the theory claims that morality is a series of solutions humans gave to questions and problems raised by cooperation throughout history. This paper analyzed the MAC theory in a philosophical way to demonstrate whether the theory is logically justified. In the process, the essay answered the following points: It is true that morality cannot be formed on a personal level, hence interpersonal interaction is required for the development of human morality; human morality as of today is in fact a series of solutions to problems, and cooperation is the source of all these problems. The philosophical exploration of this paper provides some support for the theory: the theory has great potential not only in science but also in philosophy, which also inspires future research to continue the discussion on morality with more perspectives.