🧠 Mind shaped by outside ⚖️ Morals need outside cause

externalism

1 9.9

Moral beliefs need an outside desire to make someone act in a moral way

noun
/ɪkˈstɜrnəlɪzəm/

Specialized

: externalismo moral

The professor explained that externalism requires an outside desire to turn moral beliefs into action.

Examples

Many contemporary ethicists discuss externalism when considering how people are moved to act morally.
In her philosophy class, she argued for externalism in the debate about moral motivation.
The concept of externalism is often debated in ethical philosophy.
Many philosophers argue that externalism fails to account for internal motivations.
In her philosophy class, she argued for externalism as a necessary perspective in understanding moral motivation.
Many contemporary ethicists discuss externalism to explore how external factors influence moral action.
The professor explained that externalism suggests moral judgments need external desires to motivate actions.

Surface Forms

externalism singular

externalisms plural

Morphology

externalism = external (semi-transparent) = external + ism

Morphologically straightforward (external + -ism), but here names a specialized ethical theory, so full meaning requires disciplinary knowledge beyond the base adjective.

Etymology

Externalism comes from external meaning 'outside' and the ending -ism meaning 'a belief'. So, externalism is the idea that an outside desire or factor is needed for a moral judgment to lead someone to act.