Unconsidered preferences

Abstract

Modern contractarians ground morality on preferences that are “considered' to the requisite degree. This move is inadmissible for contractarians. If what counts as a considered preference is external to the agent's estimations, it robs the requisite (to contractarians) motivational force for agents to be moral. There is also a danger of begging the question by grounding morality on pre-approved motives. If the determination of considered preferences is subjective, on the other hand, then a considered preference can be none other than a preference held presently by the actor—whether or not it will sustain sufficient reflection. If so, the introduction of ‘considered’ preferences is idle. Either way, it's bad.