Addiction as an Excuse

This project is concerned with figuring out under what conditions addiction serves as an excuse from blame. The first chapter argues that addicts have diminished control over their drug use. Chapter 2 develops the ethical framework that I will use to approach the question. Chapter 3 argues that addiction does not undermine moral responsibility. The upshot of this is that if addiction is excusing, it is not because addicts are the kinds of people who cannot serve as subjects for blame. Chapter 4 offers and defends a different account of addiction as an excuse, which holds that addiction is excusing for people with a certain kind of character and a certain kind of history. It also illustrates the practical application of my account and points to an important outstanding problem for future research.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Philosophy

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Mills-Smith, Brayden

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Glannon, Walter

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Levey, Ann
• Habib, Allen

• Philosophy

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/24703

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:11023/3763