A vigorous attack on moral responsibility in all its forms argues that
the abolition of moral responsibility will be liberating and
beneficial. In Against Moral Responsibility, Bruce Waller launches a
spirited attack on a system that is profoundly entrenched in our
society and its institutions, deeply rooted in our emotions, and
vigorously defended by philosophers from ancient times to the present.
Waller argues that, despite the creative defenses of it by
contemporary thinkers, moral responsibility cannot survive in our
naturalistic-scientific system. The scientific understanding of human
behavior and the causes that shape human character, he contends,
leaves no room for moral responsibility. Waller argues that moral
responsibility in all its forms—including criminal justice,
distributive justice, and all claims of just deserts—is
fundamentally unfair and harmful and that its abolition will be
liberating and beneficial. What we really want—natural human free
will, moral judgments, meaningful human relationships, creative
abilities—would survive and flourish without moral responsibility.
In the course of his argument, Waller examines the origins of the
basic belief in moral responsibility, proposes a naturalistic
understanding of free will, offers a detailed argument against moral
responsibility and critiques arguments in favor of it, gives a general
account of what a world without moral responsibility would look like,
and examines the social and psychological aspects of abolishing moral
responsibility. Waller not only mounts a vigorous, and philosophically
rigorous, attack on the moral responsibility system, but also
celebrates the benefits that would result from its total abolition.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780262298070
Publisert
2016
Utgiver
Random House Publishing Services
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter