Philosophy Speakers: Ralph Wedgwood (USC) “Rationality as a Virtue”

It is argued here that the concept of “rationality” that appears in formal epistemology and decision theory is the concept of a kind of virtue. Moreover, we can gain insights into this concept from some class discussions of virtue within the history of ethics, such as the discussions of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and the 18th-century British moralist Richard Price. Interpreting the concept of “rationality” as a concept of a kind of virtue helps us to solve several problems concerning this concept. First, this interpretation helps us to understand the relations between “rationality” and “rational requirements”. Secondly, it helps us to understand the distinction that is often signalled by the terms “propositional” and “doxastic justification”. Finally, it can help us to address the following problem: many formal epistemologists and decision theorists claim that rationality involves having mental states with certain formal features — such as probabilistic coherence in one’s beliefs or the like; but it is not obviously even possiblefor ordinary agents to have mental states with these formal features. If “rationality” is a normative concept, the claim that rationality requires these formal features seems to conflict with the principle that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’. Interpreting rationality as a virtue points towards a solution to this problem. About the Speaker – Ralph Wedgwood is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. His main research interests are in ethics (including meta-ethics, practical reason, normative ethics, and the history of ethics) and epistemology. The author of The Nature of Normativity (OUP), he has also contributed chapters to numerous anthologies and has published over 40 articles in the past decade in journals such as Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics, Synthese, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and the Philosophical Review. Philosophy Speakers Program

Location:

Social Sciences Building – Room 1253

More information at http://www.ucalgary.ca/events/calendar/philosophy-speakers-ralph-wedgwood-usc-rationality-virtue