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1468On the Theoretical Significance of G. A. Cohen’s Fact-Insensitivity ThesisRes Publica 23 (2): 245-53. 2017.G. A. Cohen’s claim that fundamental principles are ‘fact-insensitive’ has not received an especially warm welcome from the philosophical community. While some philosophers have expressed doubts about the plausibility of his claim, others have complained that even if his thesis is true, it is also relatively insignificant. In my paper, I argue that the fact-insensitivity thesis, if true, provides considerable support for value pluralism, and is thus of interest for that reason. Though Cohen hims…Read more
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1917Distributive Justice: The Case of Café FemininoIn Fritz Allhoff, Alex Sager & Anand Vaidya (eds.), Business in Ethical Focus, 2nd Ed, Broadview Press. pp. 706-10. 2015.This case study analyzes the Fair Trade coffee label "Café Feminino" (as well as Fair Trade more generally) from the perspective of different theories of distributive justice. Its purpose is to serve as a learning tool for students in business ethics courses.
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5694Cohen on RawlsSocial Philosophy Today 29 135-49. 2013.G. A. Cohen is well known within contemporary political philosophy for claiming that the scope of principles of justice extends beyond the design of institutions to citizens’ personal choices. More recently, he’s also received attention for claiming that principles of justice are normatively ultimate, i.e., that they’re necessary for the justification of action guiding principles (regulatory rules) but are unsuitable to guide political practice themselves. The purpose of this paper is to explore…Read more
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1023Picturing JusticeContemporary Political Theory 16 (3): 387-93. 2017.This essay reviews two books by Rainer Forst: "The Right to Justification: Elements of a Constructivist Theory of Justice"; and "Justice, Democracy and the Right to Justification: Rainer Forst in Dialogue".
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1636Explanation and Justification: Understanding the Functions of Fact-Insensitive PrinciplesSocialist Studies 11 (1): 174-86. 2016.In recent work, Andrew T. Forcehimes and Robert B. Talisse correctly note that G.A. Cohen’s fact-insensitivity thesis, properly understood, is explanatory. This observation raises an important concern. If fact-insensitive principles are explanatory, then what role can they play in normative deliberations? The purpose of my paper is, in part, to address this question. Following David Miller, I indicate that on a charitable understanding of Cohen’s thesis, an explanatory principle explains a j…Read more
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1144Animal Welfare at Home and in the WildAnimal Sentience 1 (7/10). 2016.In recent work, economist Yew-Kwang Ng suggests strategies for improving animal welfare within the confines of institutions such as the meat industry. Although I argue that Ng is wrong not to advocate abolition, I do find his position concerning wild animals to be compelling. Anyone who takes the interests of animals seriously should also accept a cautious commitment to intervention in the wild.
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Areas of Specialization
| Applied Ethics |
| Social and Political Philosophy |
Areas of Interest
1 more
| Applied Ethics |
| Meta-Ethics |
| Normative Ethics |
| Philosophy of Law |
| Logic and Philosophy of Logic |
| 17th/18th Century Philosophy |