Fabienne Peter: "Runaway Reasons"

Fabienne Peter, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, presents the fifth paper of Trinity Term: "Runaway Reasons".

This seminar takes place in The Cube, in the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford (St Cross Building St.Cross Rd, OX1 3UL) at 5:00pm on Thursday 23 May.
NOTE THE CHANGE OF VENUE FOR THIS AND THE REMAINING SEMINARS OF TRINITY TERM

ABSTRACT

This paper targets a common claim, which is that reasons are the mark of the normative. I argue against this claim in two steps. First, I lend support to a fittingness-priority view of the explanatory connection between normative reasons and fittingness. I put forward a linking principle that explains normative reasons on the basis of fittingness. Second, I use this linking principle to show that fittingness-based reasons need not be right-kind of reasons. What I call runaway reasons are robustly normative considerations that are grounded in fittingness but that favour a response other than the fitting response in given circumstances. Because they highlight how the normativity of fittingness can be in tension with the normativity of reasons, runaway reasons create a problem for the claim that normative reasons are the mark of the normative.

This event is open to anyone. No registration needed.

Pre-reading is desirable and strongly suggested, but not a requirement to attend.

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