The Distance Between Morality and Luck Essay - 2155 Words

The Distance Between Morality and Luck In the moral realm, I tend to align my intuitions with Kantian morality, forming a very strict interpretation of those actions which carry moral worth. As one who believes that the world is not governed by determinism, I place a great deal of emphasis on moral evaluation. This is why I find Nagel’s Moral Luck article so troubling. Nagel describes a concept which, if accurate, completely undercuts our conception of morality, disabling the ability to apply moral worth to decisions. I find, however, that one can tackle his dilemma and reveal holes in his argument in a manner that would allow us to uphold the concept of morality and moral evaluation in the world. This is my aim. Nagel’s primary†¦show more content†¦Either way, it is an instance of luck in Nagel’s view. Second, he discusses luck in one’s circumstances, or those events which occur outside the control of an agent which place an agent in the position to act or not to act. The last two types of luck, luck in how one is determined by antecedent circumstances, and luck in the result of one’s actions are cause and effect related. Nagel argues that certain causes may change a person’s actions, and that the effect of someone’s actions may be unfairly used to assess a person’s morality. These are Nagel’s four types of moral luck, and his primary building blocks for constructing an argument against Kantian moral assessment. Nagel’s first argument for moral luck regards luck in how one’s actions and projects turn out, so it will be my starting point here. There are two types of luck in action that Nagel discusses, luck in instances with levels of negligence, and luck in decisions made under uncertainty. On the issue of negligence, Nagel discusses the example of two drunk drivers. Both decide to drive while intoxicated, but only one of them has the misfortune to hit a pedestrian (one should rather say it is the pedestrian’s misfortune!). Nagel says that it is a matter of luck, and I would agree, that one drunk driver hits someone and the other does not. Nagel goes on to say that while one driver will be charged with manslaughter, the other will be charged only with reckless driving. Everything that Nagel says is correctShow MoreRelatedNo Country for Old Men1600 Words   |  7 Pagesthat seem to be an instrument of karmic consequence. While on the run, Llewelyn is given the opportun ity to end the madness that has arisen so immediately in his life. But he doesn’t. Instead he braves on, defying his own advice, and persistent on luck, only leaving him a misfortunate ending. To fully recognize the circumstance the novel surrounds itself in the reader must digress into the thoughts of the town’s Sheriff, an old vet just like Llewelyn, named Ed Tom Bell. 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