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From Normativity to Responsibility
What are our duties or rights? How should we act? What are we responsible for? How do we determine the answers to these questions? Joseph Raz examines and explains the philosophical issues underlying these everyday quandaries. He explores the nature of normativity--namely, the fact that we believe and feel we should behave in certain ways, the reasoning behind certain beliefs and emotions, and various basic features of making decisions about what to do. He goes on to consider when we are responsible for our actions and omissions, and offers a novel account of responsibility. We can think of responsibility for unjustified actions or attitudes as a precondition of the blameworthiness of a person for an attitude or an action, or perhaps for a whole set of actions, intentions, or beliefs. Responsibility for justified actions or attitudes may be a precondition of praiseworthiness. Either way responsibility may point to further consequences of being justified or unjustified, rational
or not. But crucially, responsibility attaches to people in a more holistic way. Some people are responsible for their actions, while others are not. In this way, Raz argues that the end is in the beginning, in understanding how people are subject to normativity, namely how it is that there are reasons addressed to them, and what is the meaning of that for our being in the world.
or not. But crucially, responsibility attaches to people in a more holistic way. Some people are responsible for their actions, while others are not. In this way, Raz argues that the end is in the beginning, in understanding how people are subject to normativity, namely how it is that there are reasons addressed to them, and what is the meaning of that for our being in the world.
- GenresPhilosophy
281 pages, Hardcover
First published December 8, 2011
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47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 19, 2024
Wowee what a fucked book.
Raz does a great job of being concise. He says what he means and means what he says. And there are plenty of examples that he gives to help those of us that don't immediately understand the sorts of distinctions he makes. All of this, plus his arguments regarding normative reasons and the way they operate with our rationality make this book incredibly good at fully describing an important philosophical area of inquiry.
Nonetheless, Raz sucks at making his ideas easy to understand. His sentences are long and tedious, with clauses that become incredibly difficult to understand with all the apparatus needed for his arguments. Though his ideas are well-structured once you get down to it -- it takes forever to get down to it. There were plenty of cases where repeated readings were needed. And while this is common and expected in philosophy, I feel it was so much worse when compared to other contemporary philosophical texts.
Anyways, still really cool and worth the trouble and frustration tbh.
Raz does a great job of being concise. He says what he means and means what he says. And there are plenty of examples that he gives to help those of us that don't immediately understand the sorts of distinctions he makes. All of this, plus his arguments regarding normative reasons and the way they operate with our rationality make this book incredibly good at fully describing an important philosophical area of inquiry.
Nonetheless, Raz sucks at making his ideas easy to understand. His sentences are long and tedious, with clauses that become incredibly difficult to understand with all the apparatus needed for his arguments. Though his ideas are well-structured once you get down to it -- it takes forever to get down to it. There were plenty of cases where repeated readings were needed. And while this is common and expected in philosophy, I feel it was so much worse when compared to other contemporary philosophical texts.
Anyways, still really cool and worth the trouble and frustration tbh.
Displaying 1 of 1 review