The Research Seminar Series in Philosophy invites you to a seminar with Sebastian Östlund. Seminar title is "Addictions and Well-Being".
Abstract:
The badness of addiction is typically attributed to failures of rationality or willingness to respond to prudential reasons for abstention. These are instrumental analyses of addiction since its badness is exclusively derived from negative effects and lost benefits. In this presentation, I argue that instrumental analyses of addiction are incomplete. Then I offer an analysis of the harmfulness of addiction in terms of genuine opportunities. The argument runs as follows. Instrumental analyses cover some paradigmatic cases of addiction but face recalcitrant counterexamples. The reason is that the instrumental analyses focus too restrictively on people’s rationality or will. They thereby fail to capture some circumstances that can rationally, or in congruence with people’s will, motivate perpetuation of addiction. Consequently, an alternative analysis is needed. I propose an alternative in terms of capabilities to be or do valuable things, for which rationality and will are non-exhaustive preconditions, that covers the relevant cases.
All interested are welcome to participate in this seminar.
Learn more about the seminar series in Philosophy and upcoming events
