Praise and Blame: Moral Realism and Its Applications (New Forum Books)

241 Pages·2002·1.8 MB·English

by  Daniel N. Robinson

PRAISE AND BLAME
✣
NEW FORUM BOOKS Robert P. George, Series Editor
Alistoftitlesintheseries
appearsatthebackofthebook
PRAISE AND BLAME
MORAL REALISM AND ITS APPLICATIONS
✣
Daniel N. Robinson
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON AND OXFORD
COPYRIGHT©2002BYPRINCETONUNIVERSITYPRESS
PUBLISHEDBYPRINCETONUNIVERSITYPRESS,41WILLIAMSTREET,
PRINCETON,NEWJERSEY08540
INTHEUNITEDKINGDOM:PRINCETONUNIVERSITYPRESS,
3MARKETPLACE,WOODSTOCK,OXFORDSHIREOX201SY
ALLRIGHTSRESERVED
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
ROBINSON,DANIELN.,1937–
PRAISEANDBLAME:MORALREALISMANDITSAPPLICATIONS/DANIELN.ROBINSON.
P. CM.—(NEWFORUMBOOKS)
INCLUDESBIBLIOGRAPHICALREFERENCESANDINDEX.
ISBN0-691-05724-9(ALK.PAPER)
1.MORALREALISM.I.TITLE.IISERIES.
BJ1500.M67R632002
170—DC21 2001051042
THISBOOKHASBEENCOMPOSEDINBERKELEYBOOKMODIFIEDTYPEFACE
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For Ciny
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✣ CONTENTS ✣
Acknowledgments viii
Preface ix
CHAPTER 1
DefiningtheSubject 1
CHAPTER 2
ConstitutiveLuck:OnBeingDetermined 47
CHAPTER 3
MoralLuck,Morality,andtheFates 108
CHAPTER 4
Ignorance,Unconsciousness,andResponsibility 146
CHAPTER 5
PunishmentandForgiveness 179
Notes 205
Index 221
✣ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ✣
ITHANKProfessorRobertGeorge,thegeneraleditoroftheseries,forinviting
me to contribute a volume. He has been unstinting in his encouragement
and support. The original prospectus for the book was commented on at
lengthandmostusefullybyRogerCrisp.Hissuggestionshavebeenincorpo-
ratedinthefinalversion.Thepenultimateversionofthebookwasclosely
consideredbyEdwardPols,hiscomments,too,strengtheningthework.
TentermsoflecturesforOxford’sSub-FacultyofPhilosophy,spreadover
therecentdecade,couldonlysharpenmyunderstandingoftheissuesexam-
inedinthisbook.TheatmosphereofthePhilosophyCentreandthesheer
intellectual integrity of those privileged to teach and to learn there have
beenasourceofnurturanceandinspiration.Forthepresentvolume,special
thanksareowedtoRogerCrisp,JamesGriffin,RichardSorabji,GalenStraw-
son,andRichardSwinburne.MyeditorsatPrinceton,ChuckMyersandSara
Lerner,havebeenmorethanhelpfulateverystageoftheproject.Finally,to
thesturdylegionofunnamedstudents,sopatientaslisteners,sogenerous
asquestioners,Isaythankyou—andthankyouyetagain.