Does the Patterned View Avoid the Ideal Worlds Objection?

Rumbold, Benedict

Abstract

Can we formulate a moral theory that captures the moral significance of patterns of group behaviour we cannot affect through our own action while at the same time avoiding the so-called ‘Ideal Worlds’ objection? In a recent article, Caleb Perl has argued that we can. Specifically, Perl claims that one view that does so is his Patterned View: roughly, you ought to act only in accordance with that set of sufficiently general rules that has optimal moral value (Perl 2021: 98). The Patterned View undoubtedly constitutes a welcome contribution to our existing set of moral theories. However, does it avoid the Ideal Worlds objection? In this article, I argue ‘no’.

Citation

Rumbold, B. (2024). Does the Patterned View Avoid the Ideal Worlds Objection?. Utilitas, 36(2), 130-147. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0953820824000037

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 2, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Apr 26, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-06
• Deposit Date: Sep 24, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 2, 2024
• Journal: Utilitas
• Print ISSN: 0953-8208
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-6183
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 130-147
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0953820824000037
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/39987392
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/utilitas/article/does-the-patterned-view-avoid-the-ideal-worlds-objection/1B29A1C19234E9C0F76A5AF3E049DF9D