The Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast Episode 78, Moral Luck (Part I - Bernard Williams)
Apr 26, 2020
A lively investigation of moral luck using a striking driving scenario to ask whether outcomes should alter our moral judgments. The hosts unpack Bernard Williams' critique of Kantian intentions, distinctions between intrinsic and extrinsic luck, and the puzzle of agent regret. They trace how success, failure, and uncontrollable factors complicate praise and blame.
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Andrew Driving Hit And Run Thought Experiment
- The Andrew driving vignette contrasts identical intentions with drastically different outcomes: one night ends safely, the other kills a child and leads to confession and likely prison.
- Bernard Williams and Thomas Nagel use this to show moral luck: identical wills can produce radically different moral judgments because of outcome luck.
Moral Luck Versus The Control Principle
- Moral luck names the tension where agents are morally judged for significant aspects that depend on factors beyond their control.
- This directly contradicts the control principle: we intuitively think moral assessment should track only what agents control.
Gauguin Leaving Family To Pursue Art Example
- Bernard Williams uses a fictionalised Paul Gauguin example: Gauguin leaves his family to be an artist in Tahiti and only hindsight (success/failure) can justify the choice.
- Williams argues such life choices are subject to intrinsic and extrinsic luck, so their rationality is indeterminate until outcomes are known.
