Philosophy Colloquium: Robert Johnson

Title: Autonomy and Normative Theories

When

3 to 5 p.m., Nov. 2, 2018

Where

Anscombe famously said that "the differences between the well-known English writers on moral philosophy from Sidgwick to the present day are of little importance.” It is worth consider what differences are important between normative theories, and not merely between those presently on offer. A common thought is that the critical difference is whether a normative view is deontological or teleological. I think this common thought is correct. My topic is what this difference might ultimately be. I offer some thoughts on this, as well as how it relates to perhaps the most notorious deontologist, Kant, and its central concern, that of autonomy.