EXPLANATION: THE KNOWLEDGE CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

NO DIAGRAM AVAILABLE

This diagram shows how all six commitments must work together to answer a single foundational question: "How do we KNOW that 'only virtue is good'?"

Let me break down what each level does and why you need ALL of them:

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THE CIRCUIT FLOW

Level 1: MORAL REALISM (Bottom Foundation) ↑

"It's objectively true

What it provides:

- The FACT that "only virtue is good" exists as objective reality

- Independent of what anyone thinks or believes

- Not a human construct, but a feature of moral reality itself

*Why needed:

- If moral realism is false → there's nothing objective to know

- "Only virtue is good" would just be opinion or preference

- No universal applicability

But this alone doesn't tell us HOW we access this truth...

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Level 2: ETHICAL INTUITIONISM ↑

"We directly intuit it"

What it provides:

- The METHOD of knowing moral truths

- Rational faculty can directly perceive/grasp necessary moral truths

- Non-inferential - not derived from other propositions

- Self-evident to properly functioning rational mind

Why needed:

- Realism says it exists, but HOW do we know it?

- Can't derive from empirical observation (is/ought gap)

- Can't derive from more basic principles (it IS most basic)

- Must be directly apprehended

Connection to realism: We intuit WHAT EXISTS (the moral reality established by realism)

But this doesn't tell us what STATUS this knowledge has...

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Level 3: FOUNDATIONALISM ↑

"It's a basic truth"

What it provides:

- The EPISTEMOLOGICAL STATUS of "only virtue is good"

- It's a foundation - properly basic, self-justifying

- Doesn't need support from other beliefs

- Other knowledge can be built on it

Why needed:

- Intuitionism says we grasp it, but is it just one belief among many?

- Foundationalism says: NO, it's FOUNDATIONAL

- Stops infinite regress (doesn't need justification from something else)

- Gives it special status in knowledge structure

Connection to intuitionism: What we intuit HAS FOUNDATIONAL STATUS

But how do we know our intuition MATCHES reality?...

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Level 4: CORRESPONDENCE THEORY ↑

"Our intuition matches reality"

What it provides:

- VERIFICATION method

- Truth = correspondence between belief and reality

- Our intuition of "only virtue is good" CORRESPONDS to the actual moral fact

- Not just psychological state, but tracking reality

Why needed:

- We intuit something (intuitionism)

- It's foundational (foundationalism)

- But does our intuition actually MATCH what's real?

- Correspondence theory says: YES, our intuition corresponds to moral reality

Connection to earlier levels:

- Links back to realism (provides reality to correspond to)

- Validates intuitionism (intuitions track truth)

- Confirms foundationalism (foundations really are true)

But who/what is doing this knowing?...

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Level 5: LIBERTARIAN FREE WILL↑ ↑

"We genuinely choose to assent"

What it provides

- AGENCY in knowing

- We're not forced to accept the intuition

- We freely choose to assent to what we intuit

- Not determined by prior causes - genuine rational choice

Why needed

- If our assent is determined/forced, can't trust it tracks truth

- Might assent because we're CAUSED to, not because it's true

- Free will ensures: we assent BECAUSE we rationally grasp the truth

- Makes knowledge genuine, not just causally produced belief

Connection: We FREELY CHOOSE to assent to what we intuit, which corresponds to what's real

But what has the capacity to intuit, correspond, and choose?...

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Level 6: SUBSTANCE DUALISM ↑

"Rational soul does the intuiting & choosing"

What it provides:

- The SUBJECT/FACULTY that performs all the above

- Immaterial rational soul has capacity for:

  - Intuiting moral truths (non-physical realities)

  - Grasping correspondence

  - Choosing freely

  - Knowing foundations

Why needed:

- Physical brain alone can't access non-physical moral reality

- Material systems follow causal laws (no libertarian freedom)

- Need immaterial rational faculty to bridge gap between mind and moral reality

Connection: The rational soul (dualism) exercises free will to assent to intuitions that correspond to moral reality which has foundational status

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WHY IT'S A "CIRCUIT"

It's not linear (A→B→C) but circular/mutually reinforcing:

```

Moral Realism grounds what exists

    ↓

Intuitionism accesses it

    ↓

Foundationalism gives it status

    ↓

Correspondence validates the connection

    ↓

Free Will ensures agency

    ↓

Substance Dualism provides the faculty

    ↓

...which can grasp Moral Reality (back to start)

```

Each level REQUIRES the others

- Intuitionism without Realism = intuiting nothing objective

- Foundationalism without Intuitionism = no method to grasp foundations

- Correspondence without Realism = nothing to correspond to

- Free Will without Dualism = implausible (material = determined)

- Dualism without Free Will = no genuine choice

- Realism without the others = can't KNOW it's real

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THE COMPLETE ANSWER TO "HOW DO WE KNOW?"

To fully answer "How do we know 'only virtue is good'?"

1. It exists (Moral Realism)

2. We can access it (Ethical Intuitionism)

3. It's foundational (Foundationalism)

4. Our access is accurate (Correspondence Theory)

5. We genuinely grasp it (Libertarian Free Will)

6. Via rational faculty (Substance Dualism)

Remove ANY ONE and the answer falls apart:

- No realism? Nothing to know.

- No intuitionism? Can't access it.

- No foundationalism? Infinite regress.

- No correspondence? Can't verify accuracy.

- No free will? Can't trust assent.

- No dualism? No faculty capable of the task.

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This diagram shows why Sterling insists on ALL SIX commitments:**

The question "How do we know 'only virtue is good'?" seems simple, but requires this complete epistemological machinery:

- A metaphysical foundation (dualism + free will)

- An epistemic framework (foundationalism + intuitionism + correspondence)  

- A terminal ground (moral realism)

THE CRITICAL INSIGHT

All six aren't separate beliefs you happen to hold.

They're necessary components of a single answer to how moral knowledge is possible.

This is why "Smorgasbord Stoicism" fails - you can't pick and choose because each commitment is load-bearing for the others. Remove one and the whole knowledge circuit breaks.

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ANALOGY: ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT

Think of it like an electrical circuit:

- Power source (Moral Realism) - provides the reality to know

- Conductor (Intuitionism) - transmits the truth to mind

- Transformer (Foundationalism) - gives it proper epistemic form

- Resistor (Correspondence) - ensures accurate transmission

- Switch (Free Will) - activates genuine understanding

- Light bulb (Substance Dualism) - the faculty that illuminates

Break any component → no light → no knowledge

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