Language, Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Mind Research Interest Group Talk (Trenton Merricks, Virginia)

The Language, Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Mind Research Group welcomes Trenton Merricks, Commonwealth Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia. Dr. Merricks specializes in metaphysics, but also works in philosophy of religion, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language. His latest book, Self and Identity, was published in 2022 by Oxford University Press.

This is an in-person event, but you are also welcome to join the talk via livestream.

Talk Title

Composition and Moral Status

Talk Abstract

In this talk I shall pursue two different projects, more or less simultaneously. The first is defending certain metaphysical and meta-ontological claims, including claims about composition. The second is showing that you should take these metaphysical and meta-ontological claims to be ethically important, at least if you think that an action’s being permissible (or obligatory) can turn on how that action affects beings with moral status.

About the Language, Epistemology, Metaphysics and Mind Research Group

One of six departmental research interest groups, the Language, Epistemology, Metaphysics and Mind Group undertakes research in philosophy of mind, philosophy of cognitive science, traditional and formal epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of language.