Ethical naturalism

He holds the position that the alternative seems to be the elaborate philosophical reduction of the word "moral" into a vacuous, useless term.

[7] Lindsay adds that it is important to reclaim the specific word "morality" because of the connotations it holds with many individuals.

For example, scientists may find themselves attempting to argue against philosophical skeptics, when Harris says they should be practically asking – as they would in any other domain – "why would we listen to a solipsist in the first place?"

Specifically, Harris suggests that values amount to empirical statements about "the flourishing of conscious creatures in a society".

[8] In opposition, John Shook, vice president of the Center for Inquiry, claims that this working definition is more than adequate for science at present and that disagreement should not immobilize the scientific study of ethics.