Basic Blame and Basic Praise

Abstract This chapter defends an account of what the blameworthy and praiseworthy are worthy of: basic blame and basic praise. Given the wide variety of responses that one finds under the heading of “blame,” the chapter adopts a two-fold strategy. First, isolate a minimal core content that all instances of blame share. Fundamentally, blame is a negative appraisal of someone in light of their responsibility for a bad thing done. Second, sharply distinguish between blame itself (the thing the blameworthy are worthy of) and a fuller set of responses that often involve such blame. The diverse set of behaviors, emotions, and attitudes that often accompany blame can be understood as blaming behaviors: elements of the practices that orbit blame, manifesting, expressing, or otherwise involving blame, without being identical to blame itself. Thus, a unified view about blame (and praise) across moral and non-moral domains that won’t fall victim to the usual difficult cases emerges. The chapter also considers various objections that basic blame is too insubstantial to account for the supposed force or depth of moral blame.