As Nagel defines it, “
Where a significant aspect of what someone does depends on factors beyond his control, yet we continue to treat him in that respect as an object of moral judgment
, it can be called moral luck” (Nagel 1979, 59).
What is moral luck Kant?
Kant believed that
good or bad luck should influence neither our moral judgment of a person and his actions
, nor his moral assessment of himself. … And a course of action that would be condemned if it had a bad outcome cannot be vindicated if by luck it turns out well. There cannot be moral risk.
What is the conclusion of Nagel’s argument in moral luck?
Nagel concludes that
“in a sense the problem has no solution
” (1993, p. 68). The cost of not admitting the existence of moral luck is giving up the idea of agency. We seem driven to the conclusion that no one is blameworthy for anything.
How does Nagel resolve the paradox of moral luck?
Several responses have been attempted to address Nagel’s paradox. They fall in one or another of two camps:
on the one hand, defending the CC and rejecting the influence of luck on moral responsibility
; on the other, defending the influence of luck on moral responsibility and rejecting the CC.
What is the concept of moral luck?
Moral luck describes
circumstances whereby a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences
even if it is clear that said agent did not have full control over either the action or its consequences.
What are the 4 types of moral luck?
Nagel identifies four kinds of luck in all:
resultant, circumstantial, constitutive, and causal
. Resultant Luck.
Why is moral luck important?
Chance plays a crucial role in moral judgment. Moral luck is a way of thinking about the relation between luck and moral accountability that
recognizes that no one really knows what outcomes will result from their intentions
.
What is Dennis saying about moral luck?
“
Where a significant aspect of what someone does depends on factors beyond his control, yet we continue to treat him in that respect as an object of moral judgment, it can be called
moral luck.”
What is moral muteness?
Moral muteness occurs
when people witness unethical behavior and choose not to say anything
. It can also occur when people communicate in ways that obscure their moral beliefs and commitments.
What Utilitarianism means?
Utilitarianism is
a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm
. When directed toward making social, economic, or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the betterment of society as a whole.
What is moral responsibility?
In philosophy, moral responsibility is the
status of morally deserving praise, blame, reward, or punishment for an act or omission in accordance with one’s moral obligations
. Deciding what (if anything) counts as “morally obligatory” is a principal concern of ethics.
Does moral luck exist?
Moral luck is a wide-ranging phenomenon that
extends beyond our assessment of the consequences of certain actions
. It also affects our assessment regarding an agent having to face some relevant circumstances, or having received some influences, and not others, or possessing a certain constitution.
How should we define morality?
Morality refers
to the set of standards that enable people to live cooperatively in groups
. It’s what societies determine to be “right” and “acceptable.” Sometimes, acting in a moral manner means individuals must sacrifice their own short-term interests to benefit society.
What is the luck argument?
The luck argument (Haji 1999, 2001; Hobart 1934; Hume 2000; Mele 1999a, b, 2006; van Inwagen 2000) seeks
to regiment these intuitions about luck and control into a rigorous argument that purports to show that free will and moral responsibility are incompatible with indeterminism.
Does Nagel believe in free will?
In Nagel’s What Does It All Mean, chapter 6 discusses the idea of free will. … Based on this idea, punishing someone for their wrongs would seem cruel, since it was already determined that they would preform those wrongs. As an alternative, Nagel offers the
idea that perhaps nothing determines our actions
.
What is moral assessment?
assessment made by the human subject in deciding what he ought to do
. The very notion of moral assessment conflicts with any purely arbitrary. determination of right and wrong.
