Decision Theory Presupposes Free Will
Seminar
This paper argues that decision theory presupposes free will. Although decision theorists seldom acknowledge this, the way decision theory represents, explains, or rationalises choice behaviour acquires its intended interpretation only under the assumption that decision-makers are agents capable of…
Moral powers and institutional norms
Seminar
It is a familiar fact about social life that, by doing things like entering into contracts, getting married, consenting, and the like, we can change the profile of our legal permissions, rights, and prohibitions. Our ability to do so, in turn, stems from the legal powers the law confers upon us. A…
Health and function, or what if I want to open the black box?
Seminar
The concept of health resides in a space bounded by two other concepts. On one side, there is the terrain contested by the concepts of health and disease. While there is controversy regarding where and how to draw the boundary between health and disease, very few theorists deny that such a boundary…
Wellbeing as wholeness: Against the instrumental/intrinsic distinction – Mark Fabian
Seminar
The Analytical philosophy of wellbeing standardly distinguishes what is intrinsically wellbeing – what is ‘good for’ somebody or of prudential value to them – from what is instrumental to wellbeing, that is, facilitates one to obtain prudential value.This paper argues that while this distinction is…
On the very idea of a map-like mental representation - Dr Alexandre Duval
Seminar
A core issue in the philosophy of mind is whether the mental representations that make up our thoughts have a language-like or map-like format (or perhaps both). Dr Duval’s talk revisits an argument that seeks to undermine the distinction between the two mental formats by pointing out that, for…
Deliberation and Credence Gaps - Professor Jeremiah Joven Joaquin
Seminar
In ‘Deliberation Welcomes Prediction,’ Alan Hájek raised some concerns about what Isaac Levi has dubbed the Deliberation Crowds Out Prediction thesis (DCOP). DCOP implies that an agent cannot have option-credences on pain of irrationality. Hájek contends that DCOP implies mundane…
Wrongdoing and the Limits of Privacy - Dr Jelena Gligorijevic
Seminar
When does wrongdoing disentitle an individual to his right to privacy? Exactly what amounts to that type of wrongdoing which simply can never be protected by a right to privacy in the first place? Although it is largely accepted that unlawful behaviour should not be conceived of as ‘private’ and…