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Moral Worth and Moral Knowledge

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Sliwa, Paulina 

Abstract

jats:pTo have moral worth an action not only needs to conform to the correct normative theory (whatever it is); it also needs to be motivated in the right way. I argue that morally worthy actions are motivated by the rightness of the action; they are motivated by an agent's concern for doing what's right and her knowledge that her action is morally right. Call this the Rightness Condition. On the Rightness Condition moral motivation involves both a conative and a cognitive element—in particular, it involves moral knowledge. I argue that the Rightness Condition is both necessary and sufficient for moral worth. I also argue that the Rightness Condition gives us an attractive account of actions performed under imperfect epistemic circumstances: by agents who rely on moral testimony or by those who, like Huckleberry Finn, have false moral convictions.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

5003 Philosophy, 50 Philosophy and Religious Studies

Journal Title

Philosophy and Phenomenological Research

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0031-8205
1933-1592

Volume Title

93

Publisher

Wiley

Rights

All rights reserved