Impermissible yet praiseworthy

Theron Pummer

doi:10.1086/713953

Impermissible yet praiseworthy

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Abstract

It is commonly held that unexcused impermissible acts are necessarily blameworthy, not praiseworthy. I argue that unexcused impermissible acts can be not only pro tanto praiseworthy but also overall praiseworthy—and even more so than permissible alternatives. For example, there are cases in which it is impermissible to, at great cost to yourself, rescue fewer rather than more strangers, yet overall praiseworthy, and more so than permissibly rescuing no one. I develop a general framework illuminating how praiseworthiness can so radically come apart from deontic status.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	697–726
Journal	Ethics
Volume	131
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/713953
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2021

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10.1086/713953

Impermissible Yet Praiseworthy
Copyright © 2021 University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1086/713953.
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Impermissible yet praiseworthy

Abstract

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