Every rational agent has a reason to be moral.

1. 01Define the thesis precisely

   completed

   Define the thesis precisely as a claim about universal moral reasons for rational agents.

2. 02Identify assumptions and key terms

   completed

   Identify assumptions (e.g., rationality, moral realism) and key terms (rational agent, reason).

3. 03Specify supporting and opposing evidence

   completed

   Specify that supporting evidence should show objective moral facts; opposing evidence should show doubts about moral knowledge.

4. 04Gather primary and secondary sources

   completed

   Gather sources from the Stanford Encyclopedia entries on moral realism and moral skepticism, plus a Wikipedia overview of morality.

5. 05Extract claims and relevant evidence

   completed

   Extract relevant claims: moral realism treats moral claims as factual; moral skepticism doubts justified moral belief; universal moral values are reported.

6. 06Evaluate source reliability and verify claims

   inconclusive

   Evaluate reliability: encyclopedia entries are scholarly; Wikipedia provides descriptive data but limited epistemic weight.

7. 07Construct the strongest supporting argument

   completed

   Construct the strongest supporting argument using moral realism’s factual claim and assumed rational recognition.

8. 08Construct the strongest opposing argument

   completed

   Construct the strongest opposing argument using moral skepticism’s doubt about justified belief.

9. 09Test logical structure and assumptions

   completed

   Test logical structure: both arguments are deductively valid given their premises, but premises are contested.

10. 10Compare competing explanations

    completed

    Compare competing explanations: realism, non‑cognitivism, error theory, and instrumentalism each address the source of moral reasons differently.

11. 11Record unresolved issues

    completed

    Record unresolved issues: the epistemic accessibility of moral facts and whether justification is required for reasons remain open.

12. 12Produce the current assessment

    completed

    Produce the current assessment: the thesis is contested due to equally plausible realist and skeptical positions.

Research runs

These are stored worker runs. A failed evidence gate is shown rather than hidden.