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54Tolerance as CivilityPhilosophers' Imprint 15. 2015.The question of toleration, of whether we should express disapproval at wrongdoing, is distinguished from the question of accommodation, of whether we should interfere with such wrongdoing. Liberal doctrines of accommodation invoke the value of autonomy. A doctrine of toleration is proposed that is based instead on the value of civility, on the value of suppressing the public expression of disapproval. Civility is of value within various relationships, a point illustrated by an examination of fr…Read more
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86Promising without IntendingJournal of Philosophy 105 (12): 737-755. 2008.It is widely held that one who sincerely promises to do something must at least intend to do that thing: a promise communicates the intention to perform. In this paper, I argue that a promise need only communicate the intention to undertake an obligation to perform. I consider examples of sincere promisors who have no intention of performing. I argue that this fits well with what we want to say about other performatives - giving, commanding etc. Furthermore, it supports a theory of promissory ob…Read more
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932Promises and Conflicting ObligationsJournal of Ethics and Social Philosophy 11 (1): 93-108. 2016.This paper addresses two questions. First can a binding promise conflict with other binding promises and thereby generate conflicting obligations? Second can binding promises conflict with other non-promissory obligations, so that we are obliged to keep so-called ‘wicked promises’? The answer to both questions is ‘yes’. The discussion examines both ‘natural right’ and ‘social practice’ approaches to promissory obligation and I conclude that neither can explain why we should be unable to make bin…Read more
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University of ChicagoRegular Faculty
London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Areas of Interest
Normative Ethics |
Social and Political Philosophy |