Reconstruction of "moral luck" theory based on intellectual studies

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01010:Philosophy and ethics-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Furuta Tetsuya 東京大学, 大学院人文社会系研究科(文学部), 准教授 (00710394)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 運 / 偶然 / 自由 / 人生の意味 / 幸福

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study I examined the concepts of freedom and will, and values such as the meaning and happiness of life from the perspective of a world in which the element of luck is constantly woven, by tracing the thoughts of Western ethics from ancient times to the present day. In particular, I traced the outline of the philosophical discussion about the ironic human condition of “living committed to a particular value while accepting all values as the product of contingency”, and I clarified the question of whether freedom and value can still be found in the world if all the situations that occur in the world are taken by luck.

Free Research Field

現代哲学・現代倫理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

疫病、自然災害、あるいは思いもかけない僥倖、等々、我々の社会には「運」の要素が不断に織り込まれ、この要素に大きく左右されているように思われる。そうした不確実性のなかで、自由や意志という概念、および人生の意味や幸福といった諸価値がいかに見出され、確保されうるかを、思想史の展開を踏まえて検討し直す本研究の成果は、この要素をしばしば等閑視しがちな哲学・倫理学の傾向性を批判的に捉え直す学術的意義をもつと同時に、社会において過度に虚無主義に傾く風潮や過度に自己責任を強調する風潮などに抗する論理と視角を提示する意義をもっている。