I don’t agree that the action at T2 is necessary. I would agree that in the absence of the action at T2, it would be difficult to know that the thinking at T1 was praiseworthy, but what makes the thinking at T1 praiseworthy is the fact that it led to a correct conclusion (“given E1 do A1”). It did not retroactively become praiseworthy when E1 occurred.
So you would say that deliberating to the right answer in a moral hypothetical is, on its own, something which should or could earn the deliberator moral praise?
Would you say that people can or ought to be praised or blamed for their answers to the trolly problem?
I would say that committing to a correct policy to implement in case of a particular event occurring is a good thing to have done. (It is sometimes an even better thing to have done if I can then articulate that policy, and perhaps even that commitment, in a compelling way to others.)
I think that’s an example of “deliberating to the right answer in a moral hypothetical earning moral praise” as you’re using those phrases, so I think yes, it’s something that could earn moral praise.
People certainly can be praised or blamed for their answers to the trolley problem—I’ve seen it happen myself—but that’s not terribly interesting.
More interestingly, yes, there are types of answers to the standard trolley problem I think deserve praise.
I don’t agree that the action at T2 is necessary. I would agree that in the absence of the action at T2, it would be difficult to know that the thinking at T1 was praiseworthy, but what makes the thinking at T1 praiseworthy is the fact that it led to a correct conclusion (“given E1 do A1”). It did not retroactively become praiseworthy when E1 occurred.
So you would say that deliberating to the right answer in a moral hypothetical is, on its own, something which should or could earn the deliberator moral praise?
Would you say that people can or ought to be praised or blamed for their answers to the trolly problem?
I would say that committing to a correct policy to implement in case of a particular event occurring is a good thing to have done. (It is sometimes an even better thing to have done if I can then articulate that policy, and perhaps even that commitment, in a compelling way to others.)
I think that’s an example of “deliberating to the right answer in a moral hypothetical earning moral praise” as you’re using those phrases, so I think yes, it’s something that could earn moral praise.
People certainly can be praised or blamed for their answers to the trolley problem—I’ve seen it happen myself—but that’s not terribly interesting.
More interestingly, yes, there are types of answers to the standard trolley problem I think deserve praise.