It is well over a decade since John Fischer and Mark Ravizza - and before them, Jay Wallace and Daniel Dennett - defended responsibility from the threat of determinism. But defending responsibility from determinism is a potentially endless and largely negative enterprise; it can go on for as long as dissenting voices remain, and although such work strengthens the theoretical foundations of these theories, it won't necessarily build anything on top of those foundations, nor will it move these theories into new territory or explain how to apply them to practical contexts.
To this end, the...
It is well over a decade since John Fischer and Mark Ravizza - and before them, Jay Wallace and Daniel Dennett - defended responsibility from the t...
Rethinking Virtue Ethics offers a model of Aristotelian virtue ethics based on a deductive paradigm. This book argues that, contrary to what many contemporary thinkers are inclined to believe, Aristotelian virtue ethics is consistent with at least some action-guiding moral principles being true unconditionally, and that a justification for general moral principles can be grounded in fundamental concepts within Aristotle's theory. An analysis of ethical propositions that hold for the most part is proposed that fits well within the deductive paradigm developed. This unique interpretation of...
Rethinking Virtue Ethics offers a model of Aristotelian virtue ethics based on a deductive paradigm. This book argues that, contrary to what many cont...
This volume provides discussions of both the concept of responsibility and of punishment, and of both individual and collective responsibility. It provides in-depth Socratic and Kantian bases for a new version of retributivism, and defends that version against the main criticisms that have been raised against retributivism in general. It includes chapters on criminal recidivism and capital punishment, as well as one on forgiveness, apology and punishment that is congruent with the basic precepts of the new retributivism defended therein. Finally, chapters on corporate responsibility and...
This volume provides discussions of both the concept of responsibility and of punishment, and of both individual and collective responsibility. It ...
Metaethics is the inquiry into the nature of morality (or ethics, I use the words morality, morals, and ethics as synonyms). When we pass moral judgements, what kind of claims are we then making? I speak of this as the semantic metaethical question. a re there moral facts, to be discovered by us and existing independently of our thoughts and conceptualisation? I speak of this as the ontological or me- physical metaethical question. a nd, if there are, can we know about them; and, if we can, how do we get this kind of knowledge? I speak of this as the epistemic metaethical question. a ll these...
Metaethics is the inquiry into the nature of morality (or ethics, I use the words morality, morals, and ethics as synonyms). When we pass moral judgem...
This book is an exploration of what it takes for an event to count as an action. I first became interested in this topic nearly a decade ago while working on a different topic. I kept coming across philosophers making claims about the nature of action that seemed false or at least dubious to me. As a consequence I turned to the philosophy of action directly, to get to the heart of the matter. I have wrestled with this territory ever since. I hope that, with this book, I have finally earned the intuitions that put me at odds with the philosophers I was originally reading. This book develops...
This book is an exploration of what it takes for an event to count as an action. I first became interested in this topic nearly a decade ago while wor...
Degradation, dehumanization, instrumentalization, humiliation, and non-recognition point to ways in which we understand human beings to be violated in their dignity. Then there are practices and situations that we associate negatively with human dignity; some more or less accepted, and others contested. This volume collates reflections on such abstract concepts and a range of concrete practices, deepening understanding of our negative vocabulary of violating human dignity, bringing to the surface inter-relationships and commonalities, and pointing to the values that are thereby shown to be in...
Degradation, dehumanization, instrumentalization, humiliation, and non-recognition point to ways in which we understand human beings to be violated in...
This book addresses the question of what it means to be moral and the capacities one needs to be moral. It examines the role of internal factors such as willpower, commitment and character as well as the role of external, situational and structural factors.
This book addresses the question of what it means to be moral and the capacities one needs to be moral. It examines the role of internal factors such ...
The basic idea of reflective equilibrium, as a method for theory construction and decision-making in ethics, is that we should bring together a broad variety of moral and non-moral beliefs and, through a process of critical scrutiny and mutual adjustment, combine these into one coherent belief system. This book aims to explore systematically the promises and problems of reflective equilibrium. Part One discusses the various elements that may be involved in reflective equilibrium processes, such as principles, facts, considered judgements, background theories and ideals. Part Two is devoted to...
The basic idea of reflective equilibrium, as a method for theory construction and decision-making in ethics, is that we should bring together a broad ...
This book explores the theoretical basis of our ethical obligations to others as self-knowing beings - this task being envisaged as an essential supplement to a traditional ethic of respect for persons. Authoritative knowledge of others brings with it certain obligations, which are reflected in (inter alia) the moral and legal safeguards designed to ensure that certain information is 'put out of play' for job selection purposes etc. However, the theoretical basis for such obligations has never been fully clarified. This book begins by identifying a distinctive class of 'interpretive' moral...
This book explores the theoretical basis of our ethical obligations to others as self-knowing beings - this task being envisaged as an essential suppl...
It is well over a decade since John Fischer and Mark Ravizza - and before them, Jay Wallace and Daniel Dennett - defended responsibility from the threat of determinism. But defending responsibility from determinism is a potentially endless and largely negative enterprise; it can go on for as long as dissenting voices remain, and although such work strengthens the theoretical foundations of these theories, it won't necessarily build anything on top of those foundations, nor will it move these theories into new territory or explain how to apply them to practical contexts.
To this end, the...
It is well over a decade since John Fischer and Mark Ravizza - and before them, Jay Wallace and Daniel Dennett - defended responsibility from the t...