Reasons and Real Selves

Most accounts of responsibility begin from either of two prominent points of departure: the idea that an agent must have some characterological or expressive connection to the action, or alternately, the idea that an agent must be in some sense responsive to reasons. Here, I will argue that the rela...

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Main Author: Manuel Vargas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia 2009-12-01
Series:Ideas y Valores
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ideasyvalores.unal.edu.co/archivos/PDF141/08_VARGAS.pdf
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author Manuel Vargas
author_facet Manuel Vargas
author_sort Manuel Vargas
collection DOAJ
description Most accounts of responsibility begin from either of two prominent points of departure: the idea that an agent must have some characterological or expressive connection to the action, or alternately, the idea that an agent must be in some sense responsive to reasons. Here, I will argue that the relation between these two approaches to moral responsibility is much more complicated than is ordinarily assumed. I shall argue that there are reasons to think that one of these views may ultimately collapse into the other, and if not, that there is nevertheless reason to think one of these views has misidentified the features of agency relevant to moral responsibility. The view that follows is one that we might call the primacy of reasons. In the second half of the article I consider whether recent experimental work speaks in favor of the alternative to the primacy of reasons. Its proponents argue that it does. I argue that it does not.
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spelling doaj.art-5ec72d4559c24757b9f8cd7cb37918c42022-12-21T19:15:08ZengUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaIdeas y Valores0120-00622009-12-01581416784Reasons and Real SelvesManuel VargasMost accounts of responsibility begin from either of two prominent points of departure: the idea that an agent must have some characterological or expressive connection to the action, or alternately, the idea that an agent must be in some sense responsive to reasons. Here, I will argue that the relation between these two approaches to moral responsibility is much more complicated than is ordinarily assumed. I shall argue that there are reasons to think that one of these views may ultimately collapse into the other, and if not, that there is nevertheless reason to think one of these views has misidentified the features of agency relevant to moral responsibility. The view that follows is one that we might call the primacy of reasons. In the second half of the article I consider whether recent experimental work speaks in favor of the alternative to the primacy of reasons. Its proponents argue that it does. I argue that it does not.http://www.ideasyvalores.unal.edu.co/archivos/PDF141/08_VARGAS.pdfMoral responsibilityHarry Frankfurtreasons responsivenessreal selfexperimental philosophy.
spellingShingle Manuel Vargas
Reasons and Real Selves
Ideas y Valores
Moral responsibility
Harry Frankfurt
reasons responsiveness
real self
experimental philosophy.
title Reasons and Real Selves
title_full Reasons and Real Selves
title_fullStr Reasons and Real Selves
title_full_unstemmed Reasons and Real Selves
title_short Reasons and Real Selves
title_sort reasons and real selves
topic Moral responsibility
Harry Frankfurt
reasons responsiveness
real self
experimental philosophy.
url http://www.ideasyvalores.unal.edu.co/archivos/PDF141/08_VARGAS.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT manuelvargas reasonsandrealselves