Ruling Passions A Theory of Practical Reasoning SIMON BLACKBURN CLARENDON PRESS - OXFORDgxronp cess ae cco aig ‘argro Shen Bares BE Rote teak band Tach Sausage had etre Hoaercy Ml "it Pt Sn Fo Sang Supper Tpe eye Tr War vw oRtESRE RE onclessse cert Saal sesame wen a gpeceetaractar ian tegen wth parce naa oa ag nla a re te cp tte sed et te Rp Bie, Santee caste hte caur ba {ing pssios a theory of procs easing Sno Rackbum. Originally publi usa re Ox New York mete i ieee ect nde notion aden" cose? Tse oto-sni-a ab) Satecisanmae-ag) nance poet sesh dad Rg yn PREFACE Thisbook defends particular view of practical reasoning Since prac: tical reasoning s characteristic of usa living human beings acing in ‘the worl, i defends a particular view of human beings. The Beitish :moral philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe once sad, gh tha There ‘could be no plulosophy of ethics that was not founded on a proper philosophy of mind I do not say that this book provides the founda tions she was looking fr, bu itis an atempy to clear some of the feound involved in doing this. es only when we have human nature Under some contol tht human ethical nature comes under conta, "The oun ofthe investigation sas allows, ln the st chapter [set the scene, describing some of the emotional and practical fetures of ethical thought and assessing from ths standpoint the psition of lesa ethics. Chapter 2 describes some of the ways in which we mor- lize: the features of situations that set us off, and the priorities Philosophers have attempted to give thm. The thied chapter presents [iy expressivst or prjectivist way of understanding moral thought Here as well we explore a naturalistic account of what i i 0 value and thence what we ae expressing when We voice ou ‘Values. The fourth chapter tens to other theories ofthe moral propo- Stor the focus of our thoughts as we wonder what todo, or what i Isright odo or best odo. lake sue with various attempts to under stand this proposition. Chapters 5 and 6 pursue the theory of motivation, fst via an ‘extended treatment ofthe ide that we ether reo ought tobe, sl interested’ and second via an investigation of rational agency a tis construed in decison theory and game theory. argue against the sp posed ‘rational’ or normative implications OF these theories, seeing them instead in terms of an interpretative grid fom which wee read back the subject's ral cancers or preferences. The folowing two chapters contrast broadly ‘sentimental with brosdly “Kantian” models of decisionmaking, arguing the superiority of the tradition ‘derived from David Hume adda Sith in the inal chapter turn to some of the staple problems ofthe theory of ethics: the bogeys of subjctivm and atv, andthe way to counter them inthe Hight ‘of what has gone before. Ths chapter completes the amination ofw Pre strategies for ‘placing’ ethics in the natural world and for demystify ing the very concept of ethical trth and knowledge. It may be sur- Dusing toind these topics comingso late, but consider that they need {resetting to be appreciated propery “Thebook defends certain bind of theory of ethics ina tradition that includes Astle, Hume, and Adam Sith Tspend some time deny ing that certain alerative traditions, whose heroes might be Kant or Ross, or even Pato or Leiba or Descartes, deliver the benefits they promise. This is unfashionable, even in some eyes almost indecent. In fy years of eaclng and discussing these issues find that the post tion Tam supposed to represent i thought of as sceptical, oF reativis tie orsoinehow slighty ls than fully respectful ofthe aval majesty ‘of ethical thought Many people think in thee hears that the ‘quasi teas’ I defend smells of sulphur. This book is my answer tb that ‘doubt Ido not expect to succeed in laying to rest the doubt in every render, Te contemporary acacemy isi the gelpof several contrary ‘currents, People think that only Kant (r Plato) keep their dignity a8 fattonal agents ntact, They think that any attempt to understand ethics {Sa natural naman phenomenon somehow tits and that any such ‘explanation ribs thebloom off the Hower Tdorot hink these fears can tetautomatialy dispelled by argument even when Think that they ‘ought tobe infact suspect that people ge the theory of ethics thats true of them, and if they cannot respect human sentiments including ‘Sch sentiments as Benevolence, or respect for conventions and cor teats then they cannot be brought to accept theory that puts them at the foundations of ethics If hey aze disgusted at human nature they till want to keep the good and the right fre of I they feo in them ‘elves that people would be apt to behave badly it were not for the {ictaes of God of Reason, or tome other independent authority, then they mil ot believe tat ethics cam be given secure foundations with ‘out such bricks, This no more surprising than a politician whose faning comes from tobacco companies being impervious to arg nent that nicotine shart Is just an example, although an intr ‘Sting ene, of an emotional slate swaying what ought to be an intellectual matter. hope that here there are some consieratins that ‘sway some people the other way, and for good reason. “The book e388 Jong me inthe making, ane hat benefited from innumerable discussions. began the projects a Fellow ofthe Institute for the Arts and Humanities at the University of Neeth Carolina in 13541 wrote the fst raft and talked about iat length while enjoy: ing the hospitality of the Research School of Socal Sciences at the ‘Adstralian National Univesity in 2995-1 am grateful to Geoffrey Price vi Brenan for my Adjunct Professorship a that idl inition and to the University of North Carona forthe Kenan Fellowship that fsubled wet spend the tine there owe thank to Prank Jackson, Philip Germs, David. Brddor Michel, Richard. Holon, Rac Langton, Philip Petit and Huw Price for conversation on these {hte A that ne to profited from an ination to take part na Centenary conference in Gago n honour of Lew Carls paper ‘What the Torn Sito Acie’ one thank to Nick Zango end Pat haw for ot opportunity. Since then Thave exposed the mater tetera in Chapel lon beefite om he deed tention of Colleagues and stent Jay Rosenberg and Tom Hil i oerre that Rant was given du respect Geol Sayre McCord, Dorit arOn, eitStmmonsand many stinlents ls helped enormous Margaret Wialkerhas boon seni and sympathetic commenttr on several ‘haplrs: Michal Seth as Boon particule clove cllabortor and ri ofthis rk, both in Astana Amer, an I ea hat the ‘Seton in which dasent rom hi sppoach do scant tice oti. in the summer of 997 I gave a National Endowment for the Humanities Sommer Seminar for college teacher and erved yet Suter audience of outstanding mer | probably leaned mote from ic Cave, Mavdemarie Clarks Eve Daler, Seven Dane, Justin ‘Arm, cha Galvin, jnine Grenberg Bennet Hel, Amy Han Daniel jaccbson, Mark Lovay Andrew Val it Wellman, Chis Wilim snd Patrick ison tan they id fom me Towe tanks to {0 Chratine Korsgaad and Alsdair Macintyre for Seng wing 10 st ths seminar and brave my Hlumean sepisem about thi own Spproaches to these matters Iwill abit anybody reading hs ‘ook how much i shares wi the work of Allan Gitta. From the time we fist discovered the paral between cur work, and the sem ina we gave logether in Ovtondin he ate ngs, thas bee con Stan pleasure tome to compare my work with hi, nd have profited pea by doings0: Amonginy ownstudents [would portal the {Shank Sean cKeever ond Valerie Tiberian, both for seach asi- tence and for considerable plosophicl help an challengeCONTENTS 1 ORGANIZING PRACTICE: THE ELEMENTS Oremnics 1 Afac Sat 3 Elona acer {Gale Shae andthe Recon Ee 5 Yonago ep 2 THINGS THAT CONCERN US 5 bay Fis 4 planation and ian 5. Clacquntalnn Fat Oo Tong TF? [NATURALIZING NORMS Inte Beng was the Deed Pret Nome and Fancons Ses Min San an Otto ‘Te Ec ropeston and Pees Abs Representation snd Minas 4. THE ETHICAL PROPOSITION: WHAT IT IS NOT 2 Concept a and Forms of ile 5 Rapin any Poy ot Min tokine. LOOKING OUT FOR YOURSELF Emotions and Dios Gught ie Tosca? sear