The Scope and Limits of Partiality

Abstract The Scope and Limits of Partiality addresses both the theoretical and normative issues of partiality in the world today. The first part argues for the theoretical position that intimate relationships ground reasons for us to care for our intimates by arguing against consequentialist attempts to justify partiality (Chapter 2) and against attempts to ground such reasons on our projects and on the nature of our intimates (Chapters 3–4). The first part concludes with a defense of the claim that intimate relationships ground reasons, rather than simply modifying or intensifying already existent reasons (Chapter 4). The second part focuses on the nature of friendship and its justificatory force (Chapter 5), the nature of our intimacy with our companion animals (Chapter 6), and the role of the state and public policy in protecting and promoting intimate relationships (Chapter 7). Chapter 8 concludes with a discussion of the extent to which partiality may or may not be justified in the world as it is now. While it is argued that fundamental reasons to care for our intimates are grounded on our relationships to them, it is also argued that it is crucial to see that the weight of those reasons vis-à-vis other reasons depends on empirical facts about the world, and so the extent of justified partiality in action cannot be settled by the resources of philosophy alone.