Readings in Political Philosophy

I’m working on putting together an anthology of readings in political philosophy.  The book is aimed for use in undergraduate courses and will have both classic (e.g. Locke, Hobbes) and contemporary (e.g. Rawls, Dworkin) sources.  It will contain about 40 readings, and these readings should […] Read More

Kamm Symposium at Rutgers Law-Camden

The Rutgers Institute for Law and Philosophy, based at the Law School in Camden, is pleased to announce a two-day symposium on F. M. Kamm’s Intricate Ethics: Rights, Responsibilities, and Permissible Harm (Oxford, 2007). The symposium will take place on Friday, February 22nd and Saturday, […] Read More

Specificationism

There’s an approach to a number of different domains in ethics, which we can call “specificationism”, that is seldom explicitly discussed but that I think warrants greater attention. Easily the most famous example of specificationism is found in the theory of rights and is owed […] Read More

To be bold or cautious?

Some philosophers are bold; they defend strong positions with few hedges or caveats. Others are cautious; they defend weak positions with many hedges and caveats. Which of these two approaches, bold or cautious, is better?

What’s Wrong With Price Gouging?

Price gouging seems like a rotten thing to do.  There isn’t much written about it from a philosophic perspective, but most philosophers I’ve talked to think it’s a fairly nasty practice.  President Bush thinks it’s morally analagous to looting.  And it’s illegal in most states.  […] Read More

Esotericism, part II

Many of you will likely recall my post last fall on esoteric normative theories. That was a wonderfully provocative discussion, one I’d like to pursue further.  In particular, I’d like to get a handle on the history of esotericism as an objection to normative theories, […] Read More