PEA Soup

Share Your Intuitions about a Case

Hoping to hear people's intuitions about this case:

A corruptible good samaritan, Sam, is planning on saving several people who are dying. Let me stipulate that Sam is not required to do so and the dying have no claim on his aid. I follow Sam around and when he comes to each person he plans to save, I bribe him to not do so. The dying have all volunteered to be organ donors. I bride the samaritan so that their organs can be used to save many.

Is Polite Philosophical Discussion Possible?

Nomy Arpaly

I’ll never forget the old guy who asked me, at an APA interview: “suppose I wanted to slap you, and suppose I wanted to slap you because I thought you were giving us really bad answers, and I mistakenly believed that by slapping you I’ll bring out the best in you. Am I blameworthy?”.

When he said “suppose I wanted to slap you”, his butt actually left his chair for a moment and his hand was mimicking a slap in the air.

Since that event - which happened back when I was a frightened youngster with all the social skills of a large rock - I have thought many times about the connection between philosophy and rudeness - especially the connection between philosophical debating and rudeness. It seems to me that the connection between philosophical argument and rudeness is similar to the connection between fighting a war and immorality. Surprisingly precise analogies can be drawn between the soldier in a just war and the philosophical arguer in pursuit of the truth. Let me explain.

Ethics Discussion at PEA Soup: Dale Dorsey's "Moral Distinctiveness and Moral Inquiry," with a critical précis by Kathryn M Lindeman

Welcome to what will hopefully be a very interesting discussion of Dale Dorsey's "Moral Distinctiveness and Moral Inquiry". The paper is published in the most recent edition of Ethics and available to read through open access here. Kathryn M Lindeman has kindly contributed a critical précis, and it appears immediately below. Please join in the discussion!

Upcoming Ethics Discussion, Apr 18-20: Dale Dorsey's "Moral Distinctiveness and Moral Inquiry," with a critical précis by Kathryn M Lindeman

We're excited to announce our next Ethics discussion on Dale Dorsey's "Moral Distinctiveness and Moral Inquiry." The paper is available through open access here. Kathryn M Lindeman has kindly agreed to contribute a critical précis. Join us on April 18-20!

A Degrees-of-Moral-Wrongness Argument that the Numbers Do Count

John Taurek (1977) argued that in conflict situations--situations in which we can save some people only by failing to save some others--the numbers don't count--i.e., it is not morally wrong to save the smaller group instead of the larger group. His argument is controversial. Here I offer a degrees-of-moral-wrongness argument for the conclusion that, contra Taurek, the numbers do count.

​Marc Sanders Award for Public Philosophy

We are pleased to announce a Call for Papers for the Inaugural Marc Sanders Award for Public Philosophy. We hope that this award will incentivize and draw attention to excellent new long-form public philosophy.

Essay:
We invite submissions of unpublished essays (minimum 3,000 words, maximum 10,000) with significant philosophical content or method by authors with significant philosophical training addressed primarily to the general reader. There is no restriction to any area of philosophy. In particular, there is no restriction to practical philosophy. Everyone from graduate students to emeritus professors is encouraged to apply. 
 
Prizes:
The winner of the Marc Sanders Award for Public Philosophy will receive $4,500. The winning essay will be published in Philosophers’ Imprint. Philosophers’ Imprint is a free online journal specializing in major original contributions to philosophy. The second best essay will be published in Aeon, whose editorial staff will be available to help with the final draft. The top two essays will both be published (or cross-posted) in Salon and The Point. There will also be an opportunity for the winner(s) to present their work directly to a general audience.