Living with Uncertainty: The Moral Significance of Ignorance (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy)

Every choice we make is set against a background of massive ignorance about our past, our future, our circumstances, and ourselves. Philosophers are divided on the moral significance of such ignorance. Some say that it has a direct impact on how we ought to behave - the question of what our moral obligations are; others deny this, claiming that it only affects how we ought to be judged in light of the behaviour in which we choose to engage - the question of what responsibility we bear for our choices. Michael Zimmerman claims that our ignorance has an important bearing on both questions, and offers an account of moral obligation and moral responsibility that is sharply at odds with the prevailing wisdom. His book will be of interest to a wide range of readers in ethics. Ignorance and obligation Three views of moral obligation Ross on moral obligation Against the subjective view Against the objective view The prospective view refined Objections to the prospective view Risking wrongdoing Risk and rights Prima facie moral obligation Moral rights Test case : fidelity Test case : self-defense Prospective possibilism Actualism vs. possibilism A holistic approach Intentional action Extension of the account Obligation and control Shifts in obligation Ignorance and responsibility Moral obligation vs. moral responsibility Ignorance as an excuse Accuses A cautionary conclusio. Every choice we make is set against a background of massive ignorance about our past, our future, our circumstances and ourselves. Michael Zimmerman claims that our ignorance has an important moral significance, and offers an account of moral obligation and moral responsibility that is sharply at odds with prevailing wisdom

a Novel Account Of The Relevance Of Ignorance To Both Moral Obligation And Moral Responsibility.