"The implementation problem for deontology"

Frank Jackson (Australian National University/Princeton University)

Suppose you are convinced that what is morally right is to do that which God approves of, but are uncertain of exactly what that might be. What should you do? This talk is concerned with this question as it arises for deontological theories in general. It is based on joint work with Michael Smith and was prompted by reading Aboodi, Ron, Adi Borer and David Enoch's 2008 paper "Deontology, individualism, and uncertainty, a reply to Jackson and Smith, Journal of Philosophy, 105 (5). The paper they are replying to is our 2006 paper "Absolutist moral theories and uncertainty", Journal of Philosophy, 103 (6). However, the talk will not presuppose knowledge of either of these papers. Indeed, it will not make any explicit reference to either of them