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An analysis of Strawson’s defence of moral practices against the claims of determinism

University of British Columbia

I plan to examine and defend Strawson's argument in "Freedom and Resentment" against various criticisms from Downie, Russell, Ayer, Watson, and Nagel. Strawson holds that moral responsibility and determinism are compatible, exploring people's feelings and attitudes to make the case that people neither can nor should give up reactive attitudes, whether or not determinism is true. I will use Wolf and Dennett to supplement Strawson's argument, and examine Bennett's paper to see whether certain modifications of Strawson's view are necessary. Using character improvement as its foundation, I will offer an account of responsibility compatible with Strawson's argument and thus with determinism. I will rely on Dennett's concept of the ability to act and Taylor's idea of reflective identification with one's actions to construct my account.

Thesis/Dissertation

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2009-01-26

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3904

Philosophy

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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