Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2004

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511616402.008

Abstract

This preliminary reflection about practical conflicts confronting single agents does little to solve the problems conflicts create. Rather, it attempts to explain what conflicts are and what questions they raise. I suggest that we have two distinct notions of single-agent conflicts reflecting two distinct theoretical questions. The first concerns the possibility of there being a right action in conflict situations. It is the question of whether and, if so, how reasons deriving from different concerns or affecting different people can be of comparable strengths. The second concerns a sense that there is something unfortunate about conflicts and that when facing conflicting options just taking the best or the right one is not sufficient. I offer (in outline) an answer to the second question but nothing about the first.

Disciplines

Law | Law and Philosophy | Philosophy

Comments

This material has been published in "Practical Conflicts: New Philosophical Essays", edited by Peter Baumann and Monika Betzler. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution or re-use.

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