Title: Are there Reasonable Reasons?
Speaker: Ekin Zeytinoğlu (UCLA, Philosophy)
Date: Thursday March 20, 2025
Time: 1530-1700
Room: H232
Abstract: According to a familiar proposal, the moral quality of our conduct depends not only on what we do—how we act—but also what motivates us—the reasons for which we so act. It can be permissible to perform an action for some reasons but impermissible to perform that very same action for other reasons. Despite its familiarity, it has been a source of controversy to offer a theoretical explanation as to why one should accept this proposal. In this paper, I offer an explanation many have found implausible if not hopeless—a contractualist one.
About the speaker: Ekin Zeytinoğlu is a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles, specializing in Moral and Political Philosophy. His research explores the intersection of agency and morality, focusing on how control over actions and mental states informs moral responsibility and obligation. He also has interests in the ethics of emerging technologies, action theory, and the early Frankfurt School. He holds an M.A. in Philosophy from UCLA and a B.A. with honors from Northwestern University.
Host department: Philosophy