Onora O'Neill | University of Cambridge (original) (raw)
Papers by Onora O'Neill
Open Agenda Publishing eBooks, May 17, 2021
Rowman & Littlefield eBooks, 1997
Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals of 1785 is one of the most profound and important works i... more Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals of 1785 is one of the most profound and important works in the history of practical philosophy. In this introduction to the Goundwork, Sally Sedgwick provides a guide to Kant's text that follows the course of his discussion virtually paragraph by paragraph. Her aim is to convey Kant's ideas and arguments as clearly and simply as possible, without getting lost in scholarly controversies. Her introductory chapter offers a useful overview of Kant's general approach to practical philosophy, and she also explores and clarifies some of the main assumptions which Kant relies on in his Groundwork but defends in his Critique of Pure Reason. The book will be a valuable guide for all who are interested in Kant's practical philosophy.
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Mar 29, 2007
Open Agenda Publishing eBooks, May 17, 2021
Open Agenda Publishing eBooks, May 17, 2021
The Journal of Philosophy, 1980
Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 10, 2005
During the past 25 years, medical ethics has concentrated largely on clinical medicine and the tr... more During the past 25 years, medical ethics has concentrated largely on clinical medicine and the treatment of individual patients. This focus permits a view of medical provision as a (quasi-) consumer good, whose distribution can be or should be contingent on individual choice. The approach cannot be extended to public health provision. Public health provision, including measures for limiting the spread of infectious diseases, is a public good and can be provided for some only if provided for many. The provision or nonprovision of public goods cannot be contingent on individual informed consent, so must be in some respects compulsory. An adequate ethics of public health needs to set aside debates about informed consent and to consider the permissible limits of just compulsion for various types of public good. It will therefore gain more from engaging with work in political philosophy than with individualistic work in ethics.
De Gruyter eBooks, Nov 5, 2018
Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie, Apr 1, 1993
Die beiden bekanntesten Sozialphilosophen des deutschen sowie des englischen Sprachraums werden v... more Die beiden bekanntesten Sozialphilosophen des deutschen sowie des englischen Sprachraums werden von ihren Kritikern als Kantianer bezeichnet. Jürgen Habermas und John Rawls selber lehnen aber seit langem diese theoretische Zuordnung ab, und zwar aus ähnlichen Gründen. Nach Habermas-wie nach Rawls-blieb Kant immer innerhalb des Rahmens der metaphysischen Tradition, wie vor allem seine Zwei-Reiche-Lehre bestätigt; nach beiden sind Rechtsfragen nicht so eng wie bei Kant mit Moralprinzipien zu verknüpfen. Bei Rawls, der sich zu einer empiristischen Handlungstheorie bekennt, ist diese Ablehnung überzeugend: er argumentiert zwar mehr oder weniger für Kantische Rechtsnormen, geht aber von einer Fassung der praktischen Vernunft aus, die in keiner Hinsicht zu der Kantischen paßt und lehnt jede Begründung eines Moralprinzips ab. Obwohl er 1980 seine politische Philosophie als "Kantian Constructivism" bezeichnet hat, beziehen sich seine jüngsten ethischen und politischen Schriften immer weniger auf Kant. Das Denken von Habermas entwickelt sich in anderer Richtung. In den Studien, die jetzt in dem Buch Faktizität und
Southern Journal of Philosophy, Mar 1, 1998
... about their own maxims? For discussion of the implications of Kant's insistence on o... more ... about their own maxims? For discussion of the implications of Kant's insistence on our lack of self-knowledge, and hence of knowledge of our own maxims, for his account of virtue see O'Neill, “Kant's Virtues,” 77–97, esp 89–91. ...
Applied Ethics, 2017
Kant's moral theory has acquired the reputation of being forbiddingly difficult to understand and... more Kant's moral theory has acquired the reputation of being forbiddingly difficult to understand and, once understood, excessively demanding in its requirements. I don't believe that this reputation has been wholly earned, and I am going to try to undermine it.... I shall try to reduce some of the difficulties.... Finally, I shall compare Kantian and utilitarian approaches and assess their strengths and weaknesses.
The British population has been greatly affected by the rapid evolution in information and commun... more The British population has been greatly affected by the rapid evolution in information and communications technology. In this digital society, we all leave extensive traces of our behaviour and interactions in the course of our normal, everyday lives. We have unprecedented opportunities to express ourselves, to connect and share knowledge, to be prosperous and inventive. At the same time, the digital society also presents new challenges, making citizens potential targets for fraudsters, criminals and possibly terrorists. The task for the police and SIAs has become more demanding as they try to stay abreast of rapid technological innovation and deal with threats that emanate from across the globe. It is important to ensure that the powers granted to these agencies to protect the public are explicit, comprehensible, and are seen to be both lawful and consistent with democratic values. The citizen’s right to privacy online as offline – and what constitutes a ‘justifiable’ level of intr...
Conversations About Philosophy, Volume 2, 2021
Reclaiming the History of Ethics, 1997
The Cambridge Companion to Rawls
The Journal of Philosophy, 1982
Open Agenda Publishing eBooks, May 17, 2021
Rowman & Littlefield eBooks, 1997
Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals of 1785 is one of the most profound and important works i... more Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals of 1785 is one of the most profound and important works in the history of practical philosophy. In this introduction to the Goundwork, Sally Sedgwick provides a guide to Kant's text that follows the course of his discussion virtually paragraph by paragraph. Her aim is to convey Kant's ideas and arguments as clearly and simply as possible, without getting lost in scholarly controversies. Her introductory chapter offers a useful overview of Kant's general approach to practical philosophy, and she also explores and clarifies some of the main assumptions which Kant relies on in his Groundwork but defends in his Critique of Pure Reason. The book will be a valuable guide for all who are interested in Kant's practical philosophy.
Cambridge University Press eBooks, Mar 29, 2007
Open Agenda Publishing eBooks, May 17, 2021
Open Agenda Publishing eBooks, May 17, 2021
The Journal of Philosophy, 1980
Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 10, 2005
During the past 25 years, medical ethics has concentrated largely on clinical medicine and the tr... more During the past 25 years, medical ethics has concentrated largely on clinical medicine and the treatment of individual patients. This focus permits a view of medical provision as a (quasi-) consumer good, whose distribution can be or should be contingent on individual choice. The approach cannot be extended to public health provision. Public health provision, including measures for limiting the spread of infectious diseases, is a public good and can be provided for some only if provided for many. The provision or nonprovision of public goods cannot be contingent on individual informed consent, so must be in some respects compulsory. An adequate ethics of public health needs to set aside debates about informed consent and to consider the permissible limits of just compulsion for various types of public good. It will therefore gain more from engaging with work in political philosophy than with individualistic work in ethics.
De Gruyter eBooks, Nov 5, 2018
Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie, Apr 1, 1993
Die beiden bekanntesten Sozialphilosophen des deutschen sowie des englischen Sprachraums werden v... more Die beiden bekanntesten Sozialphilosophen des deutschen sowie des englischen Sprachraums werden von ihren Kritikern als Kantianer bezeichnet. Jürgen Habermas und John Rawls selber lehnen aber seit langem diese theoretische Zuordnung ab, und zwar aus ähnlichen Gründen. Nach Habermas-wie nach Rawls-blieb Kant immer innerhalb des Rahmens der metaphysischen Tradition, wie vor allem seine Zwei-Reiche-Lehre bestätigt; nach beiden sind Rechtsfragen nicht so eng wie bei Kant mit Moralprinzipien zu verknüpfen. Bei Rawls, der sich zu einer empiristischen Handlungstheorie bekennt, ist diese Ablehnung überzeugend: er argumentiert zwar mehr oder weniger für Kantische Rechtsnormen, geht aber von einer Fassung der praktischen Vernunft aus, die in keiner Hinsicht zu der Kantischen paßt und lehnt jede Begründung eines Moralprinzips ab. Obwohl er 1980 seine politische Philosophie als "Kantian Constructivism" bezeichnet hat, beziehen sich seine jüngsten ethischen und politischen Schriften immer weniger auf Kant. Das Denken von Habermas entwickelt sich in anderer Richtung. In den Studien, die jetzt in dem Buch Faktizität und
Southern Journal of Philosophy, Mar 1, 1998
... about their own maxims? For discussion of the implications of Kant's insistence on o... more ... about their own maxims? For discussion of the implications of Kant's insistence on our lack of self-knowledge, and hence of knowledge of our own maxims, for his account of virtue see O'Neill, “Kant's Virtues,” 77–97, esp 89–91. ...
Applied Ethics, 2017
Kant's moral theory has acquired the reputation of being forbiddingly difficult to understand and... more Kant's moral theory has acquired the reputation of being forbiddingly difficult to understand and, once understood, excessively demanding in its requirements. I don't believe that this reputation has been wholly earned, and I am going to try to undermine it.... I shall try to reduce some of the difficulties.... Finally, I shall compare Kantian and utilitarian approaches and assess their strengths and weaknesses.
The British population has been greatly affected by the rapid evolution in information and commun... more The British population has been greatly affected by the rapid evolution in information and communications technology. In this digital society, we all leave extensive traces of our behaviour and interactions in the course of our normal, everyday lives. We have unprecedented opportunities to express ourselves, to connect and share knowledge, to be prosperous and inventive. At the same time, the digital society also presents new challenges, making citizens potential targets for fraudsters, criminals and possibly terrorists. The task for the police and SIAs has become more demanding as they try to stay abreast of rapid technological innovation and deal with threats that emanate from across the globe. It is important to ensure that the powers granted to these agencies to protect the public are explicit, comprehensible, and are seen to be both lawful and consistent with democratic values. The citizen’s right to privacy online as offline – and what constitutes a ‘justifiable’ level of intr...
Conversations About Philosophy, Volume 2, 2021
Reclaiming the History of Ethics, 1997
The Cambridge Companion to Rawls
The Journal of Philosophy, 1982