Korsgaard's Critics:

Ten Objections and One Question

Objection #1: How can we be bound by laws that we make? (Cohen)

How does Korsgaard reply?

Objection #2: Why does autonomy requiring acting on a law or principle? (Cohen, Geuss, Nagel) How does Korsgaard reply?

Objection #3: Can there be any answer to the hard (protestant) version of the normative question? (Cohen) How does Korsgaard reply?

Objection #4: Is there a necessary moral identity? (Cohen)

Consider the example of the idealized Mafioso. What does Cohen think that it shows? What does Korsgaard think that it shows?

Question: How does Korsgaard's account of autonomy differ from Frankfort's account of freedom of the will? (Cohen)

Frankfort's account of freedom of the will: When you have the second order desire that a certain first order desire determine your action and it does. The contrast between the willing addict who wants to be an addict and the addict unwilling addict who wants to be able to overcome his addictive desires.

Objection #5: Korsgaard's account depends on two kinds of obligation, but only one of them is strong enough for violations to entail a loss of identity. (Geuss) How would Korsgaard reply?

Objection #6: Reasons can be public, but not agent-neutral. (Geuss) How does Geuss think that the example of Salmon Rushdie illustrates this.

How would Korsgaard reply?

Objection #7: Korsgaard's position is a variant of existentialism, and thus a version of moral anti-realism. (Nagel) How does Korsgaard reply?

Objection #8: Korsgaard has mischaracterized substantive moral realism. (Nagel) How should substantive moral realism be understood, according to Nagel.

Objection #9: Does Korsgaard make the mistake identified by Prichard of trying "to offer an egoistic answer to egoism"? (Nagel) How does Korsgaard reply?

Objection #10. A New Version of the Euthyphro Question: Is an act right because not doing it is inconsistent with our practical identity or is not doing it inconsistent with our practical identity because it is right? Which answer does Nagel attribute to Korsgaard? Which answer does Nagel endorse? How does Korsgaard reply?

How would you answer this version of the Euthyphro question?