Howison LECTURE SERIES

The Ethics of Blame

Thomas Scanlon, Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Polity, Harvard University

Harvard Professor Thomas Scanlon is best known for his explorations of rights, freedom of expression, and contractualist moral theory. His work has largely been motivated by two central topics: how we assess the moral rightness of an action, and why we give moral considerations priority in guiding our actions. He has published widely on freedom of expression, the nature of rights, conceptions of welfare, and theories of justice, as well as on foundational questions in moral theory.

About Thomas Scanlon

Thomas Scanlon is best known for his explorations of rights, freedom of expression, and contractualist moral theory. His work has largely been motivated by two central topics: how we assess the moral rightness of an action, and why we give moral considerations priority in guiding our actions. He has published widely on freedom of expression, the nature of rights, conceptions of welfare, and theories of justice, as well as on foundational questions in moral theory. Scanlon joined the department of philosophy at Harvard in 1984, where he has served as the Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Polity since 1988.

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