Abstract
This chapter interprets and assesses Williams's '"Ought" and moral obligation', together with a later unpublished lecture of his on 'ought'. It describes a notion of ownership for oughts. For instance, in 'Alison ought to get a sun hat' the ought is intuitively owned by Alison, whereas in 'Alex ought to get a severe punishment' the ought is intuitively not owned by Alex. It argues that Williams in '"Ought" and moral obligation' meant to deny that any oughts are owned. It also argues, however, that actually some oughts are owned.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Luck, Value, and Commitment: Themes From the Ethics of Bernard Williams |
| Subtitle of host publication | Themes From the Ethics of Bernard Williams |
| Editors | Ulrike Heuer and Gerald Lang |
| Place of Publication | Oxford, United Kingdom |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Pages | 247-268 |
| Volume | 1 |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780191741500 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780199599325 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |