The sentence you quote is meant to express a sufficiency claim, not a necessity claim. But note that the sentence is about both sentience and agency. I don’t know of any serious contemporary philosopher who has denied that the conjunction of sentience and agency is sufficient for moral standing, though there are philosophers who deny that agency is sufficient and a small number who deny that sentience is sufficient.
It’s true that one could hold a view that moral standing is wholly grounded in the possession of a Cartesian soul, that the possession of a Cartesian soul grants agency and sentience, and that there are other ways to be a sentient agent that don’t require a Cartesian soul. If that were true, then agency and sentience would not be sufficient for moral standing. But I don’t know anybody who holds that view. Do you?
I don’t know of any serious contemporary philosopher who has denied that the conjunction of sentience and agency is sufficient for moral standing, though there are philosophers who deny that agency is sufficient and a small number who deny that sentience is sufficient.
Interesting, thanks!
But I don’t know anybody who holds that view. Do you?
I don’t (but I know very little about the area as a whole, so I’d wouldn’t update on that in particular).
I can see why, if practically no one holds that view, “even most theologians will agree that all sentient agents have moral standing”. I guess I asked my question because I interpreted the passage as saying that that followed logically from the prior statements alone, whereas it sounds like instead it follows given the prior statements plus a background empirical fact about theologians’ view.
Hi Michael,
The sentence you quote is meant to express a sufficiency claim, not a necessity claim. But note that the sentence is about both sentience and agency. I don’t know of any serious contemporary philosopher who has denied that the conjunction of sentience and agency is sufficient for moral standing, though there are philosophers who deny that agency is sufficient and a small number who deny that sentience is sufficient.
It’s true that one could hold a view that moral standing is wholly grounded in the possession of a Cartesian soul, that the possession of a Cartesian soul grants agency and sentience, and that there are other ways to be a sentient agent that don’t require a Cartesian soul. If that were true, then agency and sentience would not be sufficient for moral standing. But I don’t know anybody who holds that view. Do you?
Interesting, thanks!
I don’t (but I know very little about the area as a whole, so I’d wouldn’t update on that in particular).
I can see why, if practically no one holds that view, “even most theologians will agree that all sentient agents have moral standing”. I guess I asked my question because I interpreted the passage as saying that that followed logically from the prior statements alone, whereas it sounds like instead it follows given the prior statements plus a background empirical fact about theologians’ view.