ABSTRACT

At some moments in our lives we may be moved to speak of a certain course of action as necessary – in other words, as required in an absolute or non-negotiable sense. The nature of such demands is a source of perennial debate within ethics, with some rejecting the reality of practical necessities entirely, others seeing them as an expression of self-identity, and yet others connecting them to the impersonal dictates of morality. In this talk I offer some reflections on the connections between practical necessity, the meaning of an action, and the imagination. I suggest that the dependence of practical necessity on meaning introduces a certain aspect of contingency into necessity statements. Whether this frustrates their purpose will depend on how that purpose is understood. Regardless, I hope that locating such declarations on this background will help us better to appreciate why this form of words has a tendency to arouse both fascination and controversy.

SPEAKER DETAILS

Michael Campbell is an assistant professor at Kyoto University, Department of Ethics.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

This event will be held in-person at Building C, Level 2, Room 5, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood.

If you can’t make it in-person, feel free to join us via Zoom:

https://deakin.zoom.us/j/85156615919?pwd=aFJ3YlBnaU5CREJhOHA3dGo4bWxqQT09&from=addon

Meeting ID: 851 5661 5919, please email jack.reynolds@deakin.edu.au for the password.