April 16, 2014
“They’ll Mess It Up!”: Not an Objection to a Moral Theory
I posted some initial thoughts about lying to voters in a recent post. In my book The Ethics of Voting, I argue that most voting is wrongful. In the recent post, I…
Posts filed under moral theory
September 29, 2012
Welfare: Who Cares?
Some BHL types seem to think that welfare matters for its own sake. Recently, Kevin suggested that rights are justified by an appeal to the welfare interests they protect. On…
August 21, 2012
McElroy’s Attack on Unrealistic Thought Experiments
Many Facebook friends have linked to this post by Wendy McElroy. She begins, In entry-level philosophy class, a professor will often present a scenario that seems to challenge the students’…
August 21, 2012
Morality for Grown Ups
We tell our children that it’s wrong to lie. And, at least when they are young, we do not qualify the statement. We do not tell them that it’s wrong…
November 03, 2011
Helping the Poor: Sacrifice, Intentions, and Outcomes
My friend David Sobel argues that even if sweatshops are benefiting the global poor, this doesn’t mean that they are fulfilling whatever obligations they might have to aid the less fortunate:…