PHIL 3020 Lecture Notes - Moral Luck, Thomas Nagel, British Rail Class 09
Document Summary
Moral luck, is a sociological fact, that our guilty or innocent in a crime is cogent upon a factor of control. Nagel talks about ethical theory in terms of luck, The good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes or because of its adequacy to achieve some proposed end; it is good only because of its willing, i. e. , it is good of itself. And, regarded for itself, it is to be esteemed incomparably higher than anything which could be brought about by it in favor of any inclination or even of the sum total of all inclinations. Usefulness or fruitlessness can neither diminish nor augment this worth. Goodness of will has nothing to do with intention, nothing else counts as good except for will. Bad will is bad regardless of whether it accomplishes its evil ends.