Criticizing Blame

Susan Wolf (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

This is a read-in-advance lecture. Registered participants are expected to have read the draft paper of the talk, which will be circulated about 10 days in advance. 

Professor Wolf's lecture is entitled: 

“Criticizing Blame”

Abstract: Philosophers commonly distinguish between responsible and non-responsible individuals, understanding responsible agents as those individuals who are appropriate objects of punishment and reward, blame and credit, as well as such reactive attitudes as resentment, indignation and gratitude. Non-responsible individuals, by contrast, are never appropriate objects of these responses. The lecture will present reasons to question this distinction: By marking a difference between blame and criticism, and the different conditions under which they are justified, we can see that the concepts of responsibility and blame are not as unified as we generally take them to be. This has implications for our understanding of responsibility, blame, punishment and the problem of free will.

*

We encourage colleagues and especially postgraduate students to attend. Please spread the word. Further information is available on the Roots of Responsibility website: https://bit.ly/WolfPost

All are welcome, but registration is essential; if you are interested in attending, please register on the zoom registration page: https://bit.ly/WolfRgst