April 14 | 4:30 pm
Humanities Commons 220
This talk explores two different traditions of thinking about desert. Aretaic desert insists that rewards and sanctions track an agent’s aggregate level of virtue and vice. Accountability desert assesses the praise or blame agents deserve for particular actions. An important special case of accountability desert is retributive desert, which insists that culpable wrongdoing is the desert basis of blame and punishment. After explaining similarities and differences between aretaic and accountability desert, I turn to the jurisprudential significance of this distinction. Distinguishing aretaic and accountability desert allows us to see what is problematic about criticisms of retributivism that fail to distinguish them. I conclude by exploring whether a retributivist can maintain the centrality of accountability desert while allowing considerations of aretaic desert a limited role in sentencing, arguing that this can be done, if necessary.
The Department of Philosophy hosts its annual speakers series, which brings visiting scholars to Richmond over the course of the academic year to present lectures or seminars. These events are free and open to the public. This year, several noted philosophers are scheduled to visit the University of Richmond.
Coming Soon!
The Department of Philosophy has teamed up with the Department of Classical Studies to provide a library that features classical texts and comfortable study space for students. The library features wall-to-wall oak shelves, overflowing with texts, translations, and scholarly books, and is a comfortable place to read, prepare for class, or meet with professors and fellow students.
With 400+ presenters across 30 disciplines, the annual University of Richmond event transforms campus into a forum for discovery, creativity, and collaboration.
Alexander T. Englert, assistant professor of philosophy, published “Building a stable ‘abode of thought’: Kant’s rules for virtuous thinking” in The Conversation.
Alexander T. Englert, assistant professor of philosophy, published The Reality of the Ideal: A Study of Kant's Highest Good.
Miriam McCormick, professor of philosophy, was appointed Lewis T. Booker Professor in Ethics.
Miriam McCormick, professor of philosophy, presented "Wondering with Impunity: Why it is (almost) Never Wrong to Wonder," at Zhejiang University.
Mailing Address:
Department of Philosophy
University of Richmond
Humanities Building
106 UR Drive
Richmond, Virginia 23173
Phone: (804) 289-8735
Fax: (804) 287-6053
Department Chair: Dr. Miriam McCormick
Academic Administrative Coordinator: Shelby DeWalle