This Tuesday (15 Dec), the Macquarie philosophy work-in-progress talk
will be given by Neil Sinhababu (SIngapore), on
The Trouble With Double Effect
This is the last seminar of the year, and it'll be a little longer
than usual (45 mins + 45 mins for questions).
11-12.30 in the philosophy seminar room, W6A, Macquarie University.
All welcome.
Abstract: According to the Doctrine of Double Effect, it is worse to
intend something harmful as a means to a good end than to intend the
good end while foreseeing that it will cause harm. For example, it is
worse to kill one person as a means to save five lives than it is to
save the five in a way that then kills the one. I will argue that
belief in Double Effect is produced by systematically misleading
psychological processes. Intended harms seem worse because we imagine
them more vividly than merely foreseen harms, resulting in more
intense emotional responses. This is not a reliable way of forming
true beliefs about which option is better. I will discuss recent
experimental results from psychology and neuroscience that support
this explanation and this criticism of Double Effect.
Bio: Neil Sinhababu is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the
National University of Singapore. He primarily works in metaethics,
though he has also published on Nietzsche and on how David Lewis'
modal realism allows you to have a romantic relationship with someone
from another possible world. The best parts of his dissertation are
in "The Humean Theory of Motivation Reformulated and
Defended" (Philosophical Review 118:4, 2009). He received his Ph.D
from the University of Texas at Austin.
See you there,
Mark
_______________________________________________
SydPhil mailing list: http://sydphil.info
885 subscribers now served.
To UNSUBSCRIBE, change your MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS, find ANSWERS TO COMMON
PROBLEMS, or visit our ONLINE ARCHIVES, please go to the LIST INFORMATION PAGE:
http://sydphil.info
