Jake Woitowicz (KCL) - 2015-16 Students
jake.wojtowicz@kcl.ac.uk

Williams, Character, and Ethics

I’m writing on topics related to Bernard Williams’s ethics, mostly on the notion of character, and the Integrity Critique. The main thrust of what Williams says strikes me as right, but it’s not always clear what’s going on. So, part of the project involves trying to tease out some of the obscurities: so, what’s the difference between a categorical desire, a ground project, and a commitment? Then there’s the question as to whether these are important notions when it comes to character, and whether such a notion can stand up to, say, situationist critiques. So, another part of the project involves developing on these notions and exploring what it means to have a character, and whether this can allow us to reject moral demands.

I also look at the question of responsibility, our moral reactions, moral luck, and value pluralism. All of these link into my thesis, in some way.