Some people think that the earth is flat, while the rest of us think it is (roughly) spherical. We disagree with the flat-earthers. But this is a disagreement which we can resolve by investigating the world around us. Contrast this with a disagreement over whether hot dogs are sandwiches. This is a different kind of disagreement, one which might make us throw up our hands and say, “It’s just a verbal disagreement” or “It’s just semantics.” But sometimes we are really invested in verbal disagreements and seek to persuade others; we argue at the dinner table, write opinion articles, and so on. So what makes apparently verbal disagreements unique, and why do we care so much about them? In this class, we’ll have a philosophical discussion to try to get to the bottom of this issue.

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, some people thought he did something very wrong, while others thought what he did was okay. Does this show that moral right and wrong is just a matter of opinion? A more serious example of disagreement is the controversy over whether the death penalty is ever justified: some think it is, some think it isn't. Is there an objectively correct answer to moral questions like these?