Topics Logic

Question How widespread is the use of deontic logic? Hrafn Asgeirsson, Iceland

Accepted:
October 6, 2005

Comments

So far as I know, deontic logic has never entered mainstream work on moral philosophy. One of the key ideas of deontic logic is to allow for impossible (combinations of) obligations. My sense is that, while there have been proponents of the idea that there could be such things (notably, Bernard Williams), most have rejected the idea. The argument I have usually heard (this is going back to grad school, so it's been a while) is that the relevant notion of obligation is one of all things considered obligations, and these cannot conflict. Perhaps deontic logic would be of more interest, however, if regarded as a logic of prima facie obligation. But then the deep question is how conflicts between prima facie obligations are supposed to be resolved, and, so far as I know, that's not really the focus of work on deontic logic. Perhaps more recent work than is known to me has addressed that question.

Question How widespread is the use of deontic logic? Hrafn Asgeirsson, Iceland Accepted:October 6, 2005

Question How widespread is the use of deontic logic? Hrafn Asgeirsson, Iceland

Accepted:
October 6, 2005