Outputs (12)

The Value and Significance of Ill-Being (2022)
Journal Article
Woodard, C. (2022). The Value and Significance of Ill-Being. Midwest Studies in Philosophy, 46, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.5840/msp202212130

Since Shelly Kagan pointed out the relative neglect of ill-being in philosophical discussions, several philosophers have contributed to an emerging literature on its constituents. In doing so, they have explored possible asymmetries between the const... Read More about The Value and Significance of Ill-Being.

Reasons for Rule Consequentialists (2022)
Journal Article
Woodard, C. (2022). Reasons for Rule Consequentialists. Ratio, 35(4), 251-260. https://doi.org/10.1111/rati.12352

This paper explores what a Rule Consequentialist of Brad Hooker's sort can and should say about normative reasons for action. I claim that they can provide a theory of reasons, but that doing so requires distinguishing different roles of rules in the... Read More about Reasons for Rule Consequentialists.

Consequentialism and Reasons for Action (2020)
Book Chapter
Woodard, C. (2020). Consequentialism and Reasons for Action. In D. W. Portmore (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Consequentialism (178-196). Oxford: Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190905323.013.31

Consequentialist theories often neglect reasons for action. They offer theories of the rightness or the goodness of actions, or of virtue, but they typically do not include theories of reasons. However, consequentialists can give plausible accounts o... Read More about Consequentialism and Reasons for Action.

Taking Utilitarianism Seriously (2019)
Book
Woodard, C. (2019). Taking Utilitarianism Seriously. Oxford: Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198732624.001.0001

Utilitarianism is in the ascendancy in many parts of public culture, but its stock among moral and political philosophers is low. Many philosophers believe that it is a dead end, since they believe that the objections to it are overwhelming. This boo... Read More about Taking Utilitarianism Seriously.

Hybrid Theories of Well-Being (2019)
Book Chapter
Woodard, C. (2019). Hybrid Theories of Well-Being. In H. LaFollette (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee894

Hybrid theories of well-being combine elements of two or more kinds of theory. The most familiar kinds of hybrid combine a subjective requirement (e.g. that a constituent of well-being is enjoyed or desired) with an objective requirement (e.g. that i... Read More about Hybrid Theories of Well-Being.

Subjective Theories of Well-Being (2019)
Book Chapter
Woodard, C. (2019). Subjective Theories of Well-Being. In H. LaFollette (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Ethics (1-8). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee927

Subjective theories of well-being seek to explain what makes something good for a subject in terms of that subject's psychological states. Two ways of distinguishing subjective and non-subjective theories are explained. The main issue dividing subjec... Read More about Subjective Theories of Well-Being.

What good is meaning in life? (2017)
Journal Article
Woodard, C. (2017). What good is meaning in life?. De Ethica, 4(3), https://doi.org/10.3384/de-ethica.2001-8819.17467

Most philosophers writing on meaning in life agree that it is a distinct kind of final value. This consensus view has two components: the ‘final value claim’ that meaning in life is a kind of final value, and the ‘distinctness claim’ that it is disti... Read More about What good is meaning in life?.

Three conceptions of group-based reasons (2017)
Journal Article
Woodard, C. (2017). Three conceptions of group-based reasons. Journal of Social Ontology, 3(1), https://doi.org/10.1515/jso-2016-0006

Group-based reasons are reasons to play one’s part in some pattern of action that the members of some group could perform, because of the good features of the pattern. This paper discusses three broad conceptions of such reasons. According to the age... Read More about Three conceptions of group-based reasons.

Hybrid theories (2015)
Book Chapter
Woodard, C. (2015). Hybrid theories. In G. Fletcher (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of philosophy of well-being. Routledge

Classifying theories of welfare (2013)
Journal Article
Woodard, C. (2013). Classifying theories of welfare. Philosophical Studies, 165(3), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11098-012-9978-4

This paper argues that we should replace the common classification of theories of welfare into the categories of hedonism, desire theories, and objective list theories. The tripartite classification is objectionable because it is unduly narrow and it... Read More about Classifying theories of welfare.