But the attempt to find wide reflective equilibrium is still a search for principles. It follows in the tradition of philosophers and theologians who have tried to formulate moral "laws."

I think we should give up the search for principles and laws along with the search for foundations. I say this for two reasons:

• Every principle or set of principles reflects the moral experience of some group of people and ignores the moral experience of others. In practice, this often means reflecting the experience of some group of men and ignoring the experience of most women.
• Every serious moral problem involves so many relevant variables and is so thoroughly contextualized that we cannot formulate moral principles that apply to it and to the other serious problems we encounter.

The search for principles or laws is just as much an illusion --and a dead end-- as the search for foundations. And it is especially dangerous because it favors the interests of some groups over others. Let's face reality and give it up. At least then we will be honest.