DPhil Seminar (Wednesday - Week 2, HT19)

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Leeway sceptics believe that they lack the ability to do otherwise. Even if they were correct, they would be in trouble. For then they could never initiate or conduct practical deliberation rationally. This is true because of two general principles, which have been long recognised but never put together. The first principle is that the aim of practical deliberation is to make rational decisions. The second principle is that it is impossible to rationally decide to perform actions which we cannot reasonably assume to be available to us. Since leeway sceptics cannot reasonably assume that their 'options' are available to them, they cannot deliberate rationally.

 

DPhil Seminar Organisers: Chong Ming Lim and James Matharu

DPHIL Society Webpage