Sometimes ignorance functions as a legitimate excuse, and sometimes it doesn't. It is widely maintained that, when the
ignorance an agent acts or omits from is blameless, it excuses an agent. Call this claim the Blameless Ignorance Principle, or (BI). This
principle is at the heart of questions concerning the epistemic condition on blameworthiness; my project explores a number of these with
the aim of developing the literature in three areas. I first explore the epistemic condition on derivative blameworthiness. An agent's
blameworthiness for something is derivative when it depends upon his blameworthiness for some prior thing that it resulted from. However,
not just any negative consequence that a blameworthy action or omission results in is something for which the agent is thereby also
blameworthy. It is often maintained that, in addition, the consequence must have been foreseeable for the agent. I develop a two-part
argument against this view. First, I argue that agents can be blameless for failing to foresee what was reasonably foreseeable for them.
Second, I explain that, if this is so and if (BI) is true, then the foreseeability view is false. Consequently, I consider an alternative
view that requires actual foresight and is consistent with (BI). / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Philosophy in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / April 13, 2016. / Blameworthiness, Culpable Ignorance, Foresight, Ignorance, Quality of Will / Includes bibliographical references. / Randolph Clarke, Professor Directing Dissertation; John Kelsay, University Representative; Alfred
Mele, Committee Member; David McNaughton, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_360409 |
| Contributors | Miller, Daniel (authoraut), Clarke, Randolph K. (professor directing dissertation), Kelsay, John (university representative), Mele, Alfred R. (committee member), McNaughton, David (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Philosophy (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (112 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
Page generated in 0.0021 seconds