Diachronic Choice in Ethics
type: CreativeWork
description: This thesis builds on a rich body of work in decision theory, and on recently emerging work in normative ethics to discuss how a range of popular moral theories extend to decisions that unfold in a series of choices over time. We will see that such diachronic choices give us a good testing ground for moral theories. In some cases, I will argue that the implications of a given theory in the diachronic setting give us good reasons to reject that theory. In other cases, reflection on the implications of a given theory in diachronic choices gives us a better understanding of that theory, and of the costs that come with accepting it. Chapter 1 is an introduction with two aims. The first one is to provide context for the thesis. The second is to give a short summary of each subsequent chapter. Chapter 2 presents an objection to the Ex Ante Complaint Model, which provides a nonconsequentialist account of how to resolve risky interpersonal tradeoffs. The guiding idea of the Ex Ante Complaint Model is that any objection that an individual may raise against a risky act is based in the prospect that the act gives to the individual before it is chosen. I argue that this Model has unacceptable implications when it is applied to decisions that unfold in a sequence of choices over time. Chapter 3 presents a more general version of the argument from Chapter 2 that also applies to Complaints-Based Views beyond the Ex Ante Complaint Model. The guiding idea of Complaints-Based Views is that the moral permissibility of an act depends on the complaints that the people affected can raise against it. Many Complaints-Based Views subscribe to the idea that no person has a complaint against an act if the act gives each person affected a prospect that is at least as good as the prospect of any other act. I argue that Complaints-Based Views that subscribe to this idea have unacceptable implications when they are applied to decisions that unfold in a sequence of choices over time. Chapter 4 dis…
abstract: This thesis builds on a rich body of work in decision theory, and on recently emerging work in normative ethics to discuss how a range of popular moral theories extend to decisions that unfold in a series of choices over time. We will see that such diachronic choices give us a good testing ground for moral theories. In some cases, I will argue that the implications of a given theory in the diachronic setting give us good reasons to reject that theory. In other cases, reflection on the implications of a given theory in diachronic choices gives us a better understanding of that theory, and of the costs that come with accepting it. Chapter 1 is an introduction with two aims. The first one is to provide context for the thesis. The second is to give a short summary of each subsequent chapter. Chapter 2 presents an objection to the Ex Ante Complaint Model, which provides a nonconsequentialist account of how to resolve risky interpersonal tradeoffs. The guiding idea of the Ex Ante Complaint Model is that any objection that an individual may raise against a risky act is based in the prospect that the act gives to the individual before it is chosen. I argue that this Model has unacceptable implications when it is applied to decisions that unfold in a sequence of choices over time. Chapter 3 presents a more general version of the argument from Chapter 2 that also applies to Complaints-Based Views beyond the Ex Ante Complaint Model. The guiding idea of Complaints-Based Views is that the moral permissibility of an act depends on the complaints that the people affected can raise against it. Many Complaints-Based Views subscribe to the idea that no person has a complaint against an act if the act gives each person affected a prospect that is at least as good as the prospect of any other act. I argue that Complaints-Based Views that subscribe to this idea have unacceptable implications when they are applied to decisions that unfold in a sequence of choices over time. Chapter 4 dis…
author: Lernpass, Chris
language: en_AU
date published: 2023
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:55:07Z
provider: Australian National University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Australian National University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/286579