Notes for 5/1/2026
5/1/2026 What are you looking forward to in the near future? Do we deserve credit for doing what’s right? The default answer depends on meaning of “right.” Actions can be: - Obligatory - Forbidden - Permissible Suppose you don’t cheat on your spouse. Most people would agree that you don’t deserve credit for this. Fidelity is part of the marriage commitment and is therefore obligatory. Suppose you don’t murder your business partner. Most people would agree that you don’t deserve credit for this, either. Murder is ethically forbidden (not murdering is obligatory). These examples suggest the general principle that: (C) Someone only deserves credit for actions that are not obligatory. This agrees with common intuitions about numerous examples. Suppose I give $20 to a charity. I deserve credit for this because my action is permissible but not obligatory. Saul Smilansky argues that I should generally be grateful when people don’t harm me. This me...