Non-culpable ignorance and Just war theory

Non-culpable ignorance and HIV criminalisation.

In this essay, I argue that any legal framework that addresses sexual transmission of HIV should be sensitive to the way that culpability can be mitigated by moral and factual ignorance. Though it is wrong to transmit HIV, public officials should be wary of criminalising transmission because people with HIV may be excused if they suffer from blameless moral or factual ignorance. I begin with th...

Non - Tracing Cases of Culpable Ignorance

Tracing Culpable Ignorance

In this paper, I respond to the following argument which several authors have presented. If we are culpable for some action, we act either from akrasia or from culpable ignorance. However, akrasia is highly exceptional and it turns out that tracing culpable ignorance leads to a vicious regress. Hence, we are hardly ever culpable for our actions. I argue that the argument fails. Cases of akrasia...

Is Just War Theory Obsolete?

Just War Theory can be found in almost all major cultures. But since war was a business that could not be easily stopped, some aimed to constrain it. In its classic form, Just War Theory has been around for several centuries—ever since nationhood in Europe replaced provincial governments. Having made some introductory considerations, I will ask: should Just War Theory be left as it is, changed,...

Is Ignorance of Climate Change Culpable?

Sometimes ignorance is an excuse. If an agent did not know and could not have known that her action would realize some bad outcome, then it is plausible to maintain that she is not to blame for realizing that outcome, even when the act that leads to this outcome is wrong. This general thought can be brought to bear in the context of climate change insofar as we think (a) that the actions of ind...