EL2.2

• Mitigating conditions – lessen the degree of moral accountability
• Aggravating conditions – increase the degree of moral accountability
• Richard Taylor

  • American philosopher renowned for his contribution to metaphysics.
  • Wrote Good and Evil
• Individuals as Conative beings – men have needs, desires and goals; they pursue ends, they have certain wants and generally go about trying to satisfy them in various ways.
• Our concept of good and evil is relative to conation, our ability to feel desires and needs.
• Our concept of right and wrong is relative to rules.
• Right actions – rules that resolve conflicts and promote cooperation.
• Wrong actions - rules that reinforce conflicts and hinder cooperation.
• World 1 – the world as it is, without any living thing.
• World 2 – the world with people who are rational but do not have needs or desires.
• World 3 – the world with at least one sentient being, capable of feeling pain or pleasure.
• World 4 – the world with at least two sentient beings.