Reasons and Rationality. The project explains how we assess the truth and falsehood of everyday claims about what people have reason to do. It also explains what legitimizes our practice of praising and blaming people for their success and failure at doing what we think they have reason to do. In so doing it provides a foundation for both our ordinary practice of holding people responsible, and for the more institutionalised counterpart of this ordinary practice in the law.
A narrative theory of ethics. The project aims to conduct a detailed investigation into a narrative approach to ethics. Narrative is an increasingly popular but relatively under-theorised concept. Taking as its basis work in narrative theory and ethics by Paul Ricoeur, the project aims to provide an innovative conceptual scheme which incorporates recent philosophical accounts of selfhood, emodiment, autonomy, action, and pluralistic conceptions of the good. The project will result in a major con ....A narrative theory of ethics. The project aims to conduct a detailed investigation into a narrative approach to ethics. Narrative is an increasingly popular but relatively under-theorised concept. Taking as its basis work in narrative theory and ethics by Paul Ricoeur, the project aims to provide an innovative conceptual scheme which incorporates recent philosophical accounts of selfhood, emodiment, autonomy, action, and pluralistic conceptions of the good. The project will result in a major contribution to scholarship in philosophy and ethics, as well as to the articulation of notions such as identity, subjectivity, trust, rights, obligation and accountability, across the social sciences.Read moreRead less
Autonomy and Identity: A Relational Theory. Autonomy is widely regarded as an important value in liberal democratic societies and underpins many of the basic rights and legal protections enjoyed by citizens. The principle of respect for autonomy is a guiding ethical principle in a range of areas, including in medical and legal contexts, for example in requirements regarding informed consent, and in ethical guidelines governing protocols for research involving human subjects. A better understandi ....Autonomy and Identity: A Relational Theory. Autonomy is widely regarded as an important value in liberal democratic societies and underpins many of the basic rights and legal protections enjoyed by citizens. The principle of respect for autonomy is a guiding ethical principle in a range of areas, including in medical and legal contexts, for example in requirements regarding informed consent, and in ethical guidelines governing protocols for research involving human subjects. A better understanding of autonomy and its relationship to the social context has the potential to produce indirect socio-economic benefits by informing theory and practice in these and other areas. Read moreRead less
The many moral rationalisms. This project addresses the foundations of morality. It contributes to our self-understanding by generating new insights into the objectivity of morality and into the role of reason and emotion in moral judgment.
The Demands of Reason. We may reason well or badly, depending on whether we satisfy two kinds of demands. We must register all and only relevant considerations and we must respond correctly to them. But ‘the demands of reason’, as described in this project, remain inadequately understood. Drawing on work from philosophy, psychology, political and legal theory, and the social sciences, this project aims to investigate the nature, power and reach of reason’s demands. It aims to shed light on what ....The Demands of Reason. We may reason well or badly, depending on whether we satisfy two kinds of demands. We must register all and only relevant considerations and we must respond correctly to them. But ‘the demands of reason’, as described in this project, remain inadequately understood. Drawing on work from philosophy, psychology, political and legal theory, and the social sciences, this project aims to investigate the nature, power and reach of reason’s demands. It aims to shed light on what they are; whether they have the positive transformative power attributed to them by enlightenment thinkers; and whether they can be adduced to explain the nature and origin of other important normative demands, such as the demands of morality, prudence and law.Read moreRead less
Agency, Rationality, and Emotion. This project addresses the puzzling and multiple connections between emotion and reason. Emotion, long viewed as an impediment to rationality, actually helps us reason well. Our image of good public deliberation as unemotional needs to be challenged and our understanding of the place of reason and emotion in human life needs to be revised. The project engages and contributes to new international research on emotion and rationality thereby contributing to Austral ....Agency, Rationality, and Emotion. This project addresses the puzzling and multiple connections between emotion and reason. Emotion, long viewed as an impediment to rationality, actually helps us reason well. Our image of good public deliberation as unemotional needs to be challenged and our understanding of the place of reason and emotion in human life needs to be revised. The project engages and contributes to new international research on emotion and rationality thereby contributing to Australia's international reputation for excellence in philosophy.
Read moreRead less
Dementia, moral agency and identity. The project aims to examine the ethical issues raised by dementia and the care of those with the condition. The project will examine and evaluate the capacities those with dementia retain for social agency, valuing and relationships. The project will test and refine theories of agency, identity and vulnerability in the light of the cognitive deficits accompanying dementia. The project will lead to the delivery of more efficient healthcare through the developm ....Dementia, moral agency and identity. The project aims to examine the ethical issues raised by dementia and the care of those with the condition. The project will examine and evaluate the capacities those with dementia retain for social agency, valuing and relationships. The project will test and refine theories of agency, identity and vulnerability in the light of the cognitive deficits accompanying dementia. The project will lead to the delivery of more efficient healthcare through the development of increased understandings of the relevant ethical considerations for treatment, and recommendations for new and ethical approaches to policy on dementia. It brings benefits to the well-being and relationships of those with this condition, their families and friends, and the professionals who care for them.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100511
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$398,521.00
Summary
Human and Artificial Agents: A Unified Account of Agency. This project aims to develop philosophical and scientifically informed criteria for deciding whether artificial agents can be responsible for their behaviour. The project’s significance lies in the fact that artificial agents are becoming increasingly prevalent in contemporary society but raise moral problems, which the project aims to address. Expected outcomes include influencing how artificially intelligent agents (especially moral one ....Human and Artificial Agents: A Unified Account of Agency. This project aims to develop philosophical and scientifically informed criteria for deciding whether artificial agents can be responsible for their behaviour. The project’s significance lies in the fact that artificial agents are becoming increasingly prevalent in contemporary society but raise moral problems, which the project aims to address. Expected outcomes include influencing how artificially intelligent agents (especially moral ones) are built, and addressing questions about who is legally liable or responsible for the harms that may be caused by such systems. The anticipated benefit is a comprehensive account of agency that can guide development of artificial agents and inform our dealings with such agents in society and in the law.Read moreRead less
The evolution and economics of sacred value. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate sacred value, a type of extreme moral commitment held by an individual or group. Conflict and violence often revolve around perceived threats to sacred value, and there is a struggle to predict the interaction between material incentives and sacred commitments using orthodox methods of economic analysis. Using techniques from evolutionary anthropology and economics, this project exp ....The evolution and economics of sacred value. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate sacred value, a type of extreme moral commitment held by an individual or group. Conflict and violence often revolve around perceived threats to sacred value, and there is a struggle to predict the interaction between material incentives and sacred commitments using orthodox methods of economic analysis. Using techniques from evolutionary anthropology and economics, this project expects to identify the mechanisms that underlie sacred value, and generate novel ways of representing sacred values. By providing a more nuanced set of tools for representing sacred values in areas of conflict, this research will strengthen democratic culture and advance understanding of international conflict.Read moreRead less
Reason, value, and virtue. This project aims to show how key ethical ideals from philosopher Immanuel Kant, such as human dignity, autonomy, cosmopolitanism, and good will, emerged from ancient Stoic ethics. This project will investigate the influence of Stoicism on the development of Kant’s moral philosophy. The project aims to show that the Stoic influence on Kant’s ethics is governed by a shared concept of human rationality. This project will provide a better understanding of contemporary eth ....Reason, value, and virtue. This project aims to show how key ethical ideals from philosopher Immanuel Kant, such as human dignity, autonomy, cosmopolitanism, and good will, emerged from ancient Stoic ethics. This project will investigate the influence of Stoicism on the development of Kant’s moral philosophy. The project aims to show that the Stoic influence on Kant’s ethics is governed by a shared concept of human rationality. This project will provide a better understanding of contemporary ethical values.Read moreRead less