Reversing the Side-Effect Effect

Authors

Brian Robinson, Grand Valley State UniversityFollow
Paul Stey, University of Notre Dame
Mark Alfano, University of Oregon

Department

Philosophy Department

College

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Date Range

2013-2014

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

In the last decade, experimental philosophers have documented systematic asymmetries in the attributions of mental attitudes to agents who produce different types of side effects. We argue that that this effect is driven not simply by norm-violation but by salient norm-violation. As evidence for this hypothesis, we present two new studies in which two conflicting norms are present, and one or both of them is raised to salience. Expanding one's view to these additional cases presents, we argue, a fuller conception of the side-effect effect, which can be reversed by reversing which norm is salient.

Conference Name

Buffalo Experimental Philosophy Conference

Conference Location

Buffalo, NY

ScholarWorks Citation

Robinson, Brian; Stey, Paul; and Alfano, Mark, "Reversing the Side-Effect Effect" (2014). Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants. 788.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/fsdg/788