Embracing self‐defeat in normative theory
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10345148 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Samuel Fullhart (0000-0001-5452-4772, Princeton University Princeton New Jersey USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 109 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 204-225 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Philosophy and Phenomenological Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0031-8205 • E-ISSN: 1933-1592 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/phpr.13033 |
| OpenAlex | W4387607257 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 47 |
Some normative theories are self‐defeating. They tell us to respond to our situations in ways that bring about outcomes that are bad, given the aims of the theories, and which could have been avoided. Across a wide range of debates in ethics, decision theory, political philosophy, and formal epistemology, many philosophers treat the fact that a normative theory is self‐defeating as sufficient grounds for rejecting it. I argue that this widespread and consequential assumption is false. In particular, I argue that a theory can be self‐defeating and still internally consistent, action‐guiding, and suitable as a standard for criticism
Action (physics · Criticism · Epistemology · Normative · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · Free Will and Agency · Law · Philosophy · War, Ethics, and Justification
The Structural Evolution of Morality
Doing the Best One Can
The Concept of Moral Obligation
Rationality and Dynamic Choice
Utilitarianism and Co-operation
How you can help, without making a difference
Cooperation, ‘Ought Morally’, and Principles of Moral Harmony
Moral Dilemmas in Medieval Thought
Alienation, Consequentialism, and the Demands of Morality (1984)
Temptation and Deliberation
The psychological basis of collective action
Aggregation and Reductio
Act‐utilitarian prisoner's dilemmas
Cyclical preferences and rational choice
Moral Dilemmas and Consistency
Outlines of a Formal Theory of Value, I
Oughts, Options, and Actualism
Clever Bookies and Coherent Beliefs
Contractualism for Us As We Are
The Problem of Self‐Torture
Maximalism and Moral Harmony
How Indirect Can Indirect Utilitarianism Be
Opting for the Best
Collective harm and the inefficacy problem
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |