In Defence of Moral Error Theory

Moral error theorists typically accept two claims - one conceptual and one ontological - about moral facts. The conceptual claim is that moral facts are or entail facts about categorical reasons (and correspondingly that moral claims are or entail claims about categorical reason); the ontological claim is that there are no categorical reasons-and consequently no moral facts-in reality. I accept this version of moral error theory and I try to unpack what it amounts to in section 2. In the course of doing so I consider two preliminary objections that moral error theory is (probably) false because its implications are intuitively unacceptable (what I call the Moorean objection) and that the general motivation for moral error theory is self-undermining in that it rests on a hidden appeal to norms. | Direct Link to PDF

Moral Minds: The Nature of Right and Wrong

THE CENTRAL IDEA of this book is simple: we evolved a moral instinct, a capacity that naturally grows within each child, designed to generate rapid judgments about what is morally right or wrong based on an unconscious grammar of action. Part of this machinery was designed by the blind hand of Darwinian selection millions of years before our species evolved; other parts were added or upgraded over the evolutionary history of our species, and are unique both to humans and to our moral psychology. These ideas draw on insightsfrom another instinct: language. | Direct Link to PDF (e-book)

Oxford Studies in Metaethics

The full book is available online for free:Oxford Studies in Metaethics is designed to collect, on an annual basis, some of the best new work being done in the field of metaethics. I’m very pleased to be able to present this third volume, one that has managed so successfully to fulfill the aims envisioned for the series. | Direct Link to Book

Moral Judgment

i. Moral rules are held to have an objective, prescriptive force; they are notdependent on the authority of any individual or institution.ii. Moral rules are taken to hold generally, not just locally; they not only proscribebehavior here and now, but also in other countries and at other times in history.iii. Violations of moral rules involve a victim who has been harmed, whose rightshave been violated, or who has been subject to an injustice.iv. Violations of moral rules are typically more serious than violations ofconventional rules. | Direct Link to PDF

Boredom? ADHD?

John Plotz in the New York Times: Their Noonday Demons, and Ours

These days, when we try to get a fix on our wasted time, we use labels that run from the psychological (distraction, “mind-wandering” or “top-down processing deficit”) to the medical (A.D.H.D., hypoglycemia) to the ethical (laziness, poor work habits). But perhaps “acedia” is the label we need. After all, it afflicted those whose pursuits prefigured the routines of many workers in the postindustrial economy. Acedia’s sufferers were engaged in solitary, sedentary, cerebral effort toward a clear final goal — but a goal that could be reached only by crossing an open, empty field with few signposts. The empty field is the monk’s day of spiritual contemplation in a cell besieged by the demon acedia — or your afternoon in a coffee shop with tiptop Wi-Fi.

via

Obama/Clinton?

Nobel Prize winner and former US Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, makes the case for the "natural" Obama/Clinton ticket in 2012:

Why do I say this? Because Obama needs to stir the passions and enthusiasms of a Democratic base that’s been disillusioned with his cave-ins to regressive Republicans. Hillary Clinton on the ticket can do that.

via

The Boundaries of Justice

The overarching concern in the idea of justice is the need to have just relations with others—and even to have appropriate sentiments about others; and what motivates the search is the diagnosis of injustice in ongoing arrangements. In some cases, this might demand the need to change an existing boundary of sovereignty—a concern that motivated Hume’s staunchly anti-colonial position. (He once remarked, “Oh! How I long to see America and the East Indies revolted totally & finally.”) Or it might relate to the Humean recognition that as we expand trade and other relations with foreign countries, our sentiments as well as our reasoning have to take note of the recognition that “the boundaries of justice still grow larger,” without the necessity to place all the people involved in our conception of justice within the confines of one sovereign state.

Amartya Sen, in The National Review, "The Boundaries of Justice."

What Position Will Win the TOC?

First, I just want to give a shout-out to the Mountain Brook tournament in Birmingham. This is the second year I've been, and once again the hospitality and timeliness have been exceptional. Jeff Roberts really goes out of his way to bring good judges to the tournament and put on a good show (and the MB students do a great job keeping things running). If you live in the South and don't make it to this tournament, you're missing out!On to the substance of today's post: what position will win the TOC?

I'll try not to answer my own question (since I'm more interested in others' thoughts), but I will say this: debaters are doing themselves a strategic disservice by running away from the plausibly true positions on this topic. I describe the loss as a "strategic" one, because I'm reasonably certain that no one will be persuaded by pedagogical risks.

The debates that start off on dubious premises (thanks to ridiculous case positions) almost always become side-tracked by theoretical and procedural questions that can rarely be resolved predictably. This is especially true in elimination rounds against strong competitors—the marginal utility of a "non-stock" position is significantly diminished when assured that your opponent will either shift the debate to theory or respond with an even more "outside the box" argument. The race to the bottom of absurdity can quickly become a counterproductive exercise, or one that at best terminates in a coin-flip decision.

While I hesitate to make any predictions, I certainly hope that high-level debates will explore the contextually unique accounts of self-defense that tend to permeate this topic in real-world discussion. I believe that the most researched account of this issue can and should take center stage. Off-the-wall positions may be decisive in prelims and lesser tournaments, but the most consistently and universally successful positions are true ones.

What do you expect to see come out on top?

Three Judging Practices That Need To Stop by Adam Torson

All of these practices are tempting, but a moment’s reflection should suggest to most judges that they are inappropriate.

1. Speaker Point Games

Enough with the paradigms that promise increased speaker points for goofy behavior. You might think it’s hysterical to promise a thirty for bringing you a cookie, saying “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” or dancing a jig, but it’s not. Judging is not about you – the debaters aren’t there for your entertainment.

If it were harmless fun nobody would care, but speaker points matter. They affect who you debate in prelims (especially later in a tournament when brackets are smaller), whether you break, and out-round seeding. On more than one occasion I have seen a speaker point game change who breaks and who doesn’t. It’s not fair, and it should stop.

2. Berating Debaters

A certain amount of irritation at poorly debated rounds is natural, but it’s stunning how often judges go way over the top. Expressing outrage at the state of debate or the obnoxiousness of some particular practice may be cathartic, but it’s hardly constructive. Getting angry and berating debaters is self-indulgent; the oral critique is not about your anger. It is reprehensible to be proud of making a debater cry.

Sometimes anger is appropriate, as when a debater is rude or patently offensive, but this is relatively rare. Yelling at someone because they made an argument you don’t like suggests a dramatic lack of perspective – the kids are learning what a good argument is, people have different views on what a good argument is, and students are coached in different ways. The RFD is not about showing off how smart you are or how much you know about debate. Get over yourself and make your comments constructive. You are not entitled to adjudicate a tournament full of mistake free rounds.

3. Calling Tons of Evidence

Everyone seems to want debaters to be clearer, but many of us engage in a practice that incentivizes exactly the opposite. The debaters’ opportunity to effectively convey the meaning of their evidence is the constructive. Figuring out what evidence means after the round and making it part of the decision calculus is blatant intervention. There are judges who routinely call virtually every argument read in the round and reconstruct their flow on that basis. Give me a break.

I suspect this is mostly motivated by ego – none of us likes to admit that we didn’t understand an argument. But – I feel like a broken record – it’s not about you. It is unfair and pedagogically unsound to vote for arguments you straight up don’t understand – even more so when you are doing things like supplying evidence comparison for the debaters. Have enough courage to admit when you don’t get something, even at the risk of teenagers thinking you’re not as smart as they otherwise would.

Rest in Peace, Bob Jordan

I never met Bob Jordan in person, but he and I exchanged emails dozens of times with regards to debate and our shared interest in creating online debate communities. It was reported today on PFDebate.com that Bob passed away due to a massive heart-attack. There are no plans to continue.

Dear PFDebate Community,

It is with great regret that I inform all of you that PFDebate will no longer be publishing any handbooks. Robert Jordan, the owner and sole operator of PFDebate suffered a massive heart attack on Monday morning and has passed away.

More information will be coming soon. Please bear with us as we begin the process of putting his affairs in order.

All the best,

Nathaniel Jordan

The debate community will miss him dearly. He was a pioneer in Public Forum debate.

Battered Woman Syndrome: What is ‘Reasonable?’

Is an objective standard meaningless if the jury is not equipped to understand what is indeed reasonable behaviour for a woman who has experienced long-term battering?| Link

Distinction between Justification and Excuse

Battered Woman Syndrome, Expert Testimony, and the Distinction between Justification and Excuse; Schopp, Robert F.; Sturgis, Barbara J.; Sullivan, Megan 1994 U. Ill. L. Rev. 45 (1994) | Link

For elderly, stigma of domestic violence keeps it hidden

For elderly victims of domestic violence, physical, emotional and sexual abuse has often desecrated the relationship even before the couple married."Domestic violence can be present throughout a marriage of 40, 50, even 60 years, starting when the couple is dating, carrying on through the woman's pregnancies and continuing even when they are elderly," says Bonnie Brandl, a director with the Madison, Wis.-based National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (ncall.us). | Link

Domestic violence cases on rise as women become more willing to report abuse

SYDNEY — Reports of domestic violence incidents are rising each year in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and one police official believes it is largely due to a greater willingness by victims to report their abuse to the authorities. | Link

Study finds how child abuse changes the brain

In a study in the journal Current Biology, researchers used brain scans to explore the impact of physical abuse or domestic violence on children's emotional development and found that exposure to it was linked to increased activity in two brain areas when children were shown pictures of angry faces. | Link to Reuters

Blake Field Report

Field report for Blake after the jump. From Joy of Tournaments.Kelly Venturi American Heritage - PlantationAriana Bagherian American Heritage at Boca/DelrayAbby Hofstadter Ankeny HSGrant Laverty Ankeny HSAlan Zhou Ankeny HSAbhilasha Bhola Annie Wright SchoolOlivia Davis Annie Wright SchoolKatrina Kalimar Annie Wright SchoolAnisha Vora Annie Wright SchoolJohn Granlund Apple Valley High SchoolGrace Hoffa Apple Valley High SchoolMiriam Kelberg Apple Valley High SchoolJordan Larson Apple Valley High SchoolHogan McDonald Apple Valley High SchoolLuke Stuttgen Apple Valley High SchoolJohn Ahn Appleton East HS (A)Kevin Du Appleton East HS (A)Hali Peterson Appleton East HS (A)Austin Wittmann Appleton East HS (A)Haley Brandt-Erichsen Bainbridge Island High SchoolJacob Reiter Bainbridge Island High SchoolAlex Teiche Bainbridge Island High SchoolNicole VanDerMeer Bainbridge Island High SchoolCourtney Bye Blaine High ScholSunpreet Singh Bronx ScienceShai Szulanski Bronx ScienceElaine Andersen Brookfield EastAlyce Ge Brookfield EastAdvik Shreekumar Brookfield EastMihir Trivedi Brookfield EastJosh Altman Byram Hills High SchoolSammi Cannold Byram Hills High SchoolJoseph Millman Carpe Diem Speech & DebateElana Leone CESJDSAdil Khan CollegiateSam Hoefs Coon Rapids High SchoolTrevor Martinez Coon Rapids High SchoolStella Oludayo Coon Rapids High SchoolSamantha Gerleman Des Moines Roosevelt High SchoolTalha Ahsan Eagan High SchoolCorey Bergman Eagan High SchoolAndrew Friedman Eagan High SchoolNurry Goren Eagan High SchoolRyan Lowder Eagan High SchoolKunal Patel Eagan High SchoolSamad Qureshi Eagan High SchoolChloe Reynolds Eagan High SchoolDaniel Sachs Eagan High SchoolTinuola Dada Eastside CatholicDerek Holliday Eastside CatholicAddison Klinke Eastside CatholicJuli Symmons Eastside CatholicSebastian Van Coevorden Eastside CatholicColin Forker Edina High SchoolIsaac Rothberg Edina High SchoolErik Baker Evanston High SchoolEmanuel Dallas Evanston High SchoolGabriel Dallas Evanston High SchoolZach Favakeh Evanston High SchoolEric Weine Evanston High SchoolEileen Sheats Federal Way High SchoolSamuel Doten Forest Lake High SchoolJenni Dylkowski Forest Lake High SchoolJustin Vilgos Forest Lake High SchoolJay Saker Fremont-MillsIsel Bedgood Ft. Lauderdale HSEthan Singer Ft. Lauderdale HSTroy Thisler Ft. Lauderdale HSAneri Amin Harvard WestlakeAdam Bennett Harvard WestlakeMichelle Choi Harvard WestlakeJulie Engel Harvard WestlakeBrendan Gallagher Harvard WestlakeWilliam Gingold Harvard WestlakeShelby Heitner Harvard WestlakeAndrew Kim Harvard WestlakeAnnie Kors Harvard WestlakeJulius Pak Harvard WestlakeAndrew Sohn Harvard WestlakeShreya Ahuja Hockaday SchoolRupsha Basu Hockaday SchoolChristine Chen Hockaday SchoolMollie Cowger Hockaday SchoolKatherine Qiu Hockaday SchoolAnnie Zhu Hockaday SchoolRae Akinsanya Hopkins High SchoolMia Berman Hopkins High SchoolJackson Dunitz Hopkins High SchoolSam Greenwald Hopkins High SchoolGavin Knowles Hopkins High SchoolClaire Kueffner Hopkins High SchoolDrew Nothrup Hopkins High SchoolAlex Tisher Hopkins High SchoolShecharya Flatte Iowa City High SchoolDrew Wilson Iowa City High SchoolJames Callison Kent Denver SchoolDavid Kading Kent Denver SchoolSam Mathews Kent Denver SchoolAlex Wissmann Kent Denver SchoolJay Howard Lakes High SchoolSam Anderson Lakeville NorthJosh You Lakeville NorthDylan Adelman Lakeville SouthMargaret Gadek Lakeville SouthAdam Hoffman Lexington High SchoolPaul Zhou Lexington High SchoolKyle Trevett Lincoln High SchoolAdam Bistagne Loyola High SchoolMichael Harris Loyola High SchoolEdward Kelinsky Loyola High SchoolBenjamin Koh Loyola High SchoolBob Overing Loyola High SchoolTom Placido Loyola High SchoolColin Turner Slivka New Trier High SchoolJackson Ave Okoboji High SchoolAbbigail Shew Okoboji High SchoolJenna Mary Kelly Robbinsdale ArmstrongWilliam Patrick Schafer Robbinsdale ArmstrongAndrew William Urevig Robbinsdale ArmstrongAdrienne Leigh Barberg Robbinsdale Cooper High SchoolCollin Edward Brown Robbinsdale Cooper High SchoolAmanda Rose Halek Robbinsdale Cooper High SchoolCelisia Antonia Stanton Robbinsdale Cooper High SchoolDevin Awe Rosemount High SchoolGermaine Mariaselvaraj Rosemount High SchoolJack Moore Rosemount High SchoolZelphia Peterson Rosemount High SchoolCameron Ballard Rowland Hall-St. Mark's SchoolKelton Anderson Saint Thomas AcademySean Doherty-Powell Saint Thomas AcademyLiam Nields Saint Thomas AcademyElliot Polsky Saint Thomas AcademyMeagan Trayers Saint Thomas AcademyElizabeth Weir Saint Thomas AcademyJosh Annex Scarsdale High SchoolAlon Daks Scarsdale High SchoolZach Edelman Scarsdale High SchoolBenjamin Fife Scarsdale High SchoolGeoffrey Kristof Scarsdale High SchoolDouglas Meyers Scarsdale High SchoolSam Natbony Scarsdale High SchoolGrant Reiter Scarsdale High SchoolDavid Mikhayelyan Sioux Falls Lincoln High SchoolTony Welter Sioux Falls Lincoln High SchoolElizabeth Canarie South Portland High SchoolDana Councilman St. Louis Park High SchoolLeah Shapiro St. Louis Park High SchoolRichard Shmikler St. Louis Park High SchoolSol Ehrlich Taravella High School SeniorEd Hendrickson The Meadows SchoolElisse Johnson The Meadows SchoolNatalie Kim The Meadows SchoolSabina Manzini The Meadows SchoolVictor Mezacapa University School OhioAlex Schraff University School OhioPrasan Srinivasan University School OhioSarah Barr Engel Walt Whitman High SchoolNathaniel Korn Walt Whitman High SchoolJessica Levy Walt Whitman High SchoolDaisy Massey Walt Whitman High SchoolKatie Seevers Walt Whitman High SchoolTori Seidenstein Walt Whitman High SchoolEmily DeBow West Bend HSKeegan Brown West Des Moines ValleyLucy Korsakov West Des Moines ValleyNanticha Lutt West Des Moines ValleyMegan Nubel West Des Moines ValleyMoses Sloven West Des Moines ValleyJason Smith West Des Moines ValleyGrady Stein West Des Moines ValleyLexi Takla West Des Moines ValleyColin Timmerman West Des Moines ValleyNathan LaFrombois Whitefish Bay High School

A New Chapter for VBD

I started posting on VBD in 2003 when I was a junior at Vassar College. After that, I had the opportunity to become the director of student life at VBI. Today, in 2011, I am a classroom teacher and the director of one the largest teams in the United States. It has been exciting to build this web site and it has been exciting to rebuild the Bronx Science program.Directing a speech and debate team with over three hundred active members while teaching 136 students AP US Government is a formidable challenge, and it is one that made all the more challenging by my service as president of the New York State Debate Coaches Association and co-director of the Metro-Hudson League. I say this not to pat myself on the back, but to acknowledge reality: I'm no longer a junior at Vassar, and so I'm no longer able to provide the community with the type of web site I have tried to provide for so long. If there were more hours in the day, perhaps. But there are not. And it is important that I be honest about that.

These last few years, my own posting volume has decreased noticeably. I've known that myself for some time. VBD has been such an important part of my life in debate, and so it's been hard to acknowledge it. But it's time for that acknowledgment, and thus, it's time for the start of a new chapter on this site.

I owe so much of my present career to the opportunities given to me by the Victory Briefs organization, and by Mike Bietz and Victor Jih more specifically. I also owe so much to the support of the community that I've long tried to serve through volunteering to run this web site. I will remain forever grateful to you all.

For now, if you have news and stories to contribute, please contact Mike Bietz. VBD will undergo some changes as it strives to include more community participation in the posting of news and updates.

For those who will be at Bump this weekend or the Glenbrooks the next weekend, I look forward to seeing you there. For those I'll see later on, I can't wait to see you. And for those who have read from afar, I am confident that the best in online content is yet to come. I know I'm looking forward to reading it!