Abstract

This dissertation explores the relationship between morality and mental illness. Mental illness is often thought to impair moral functioning but careful examination reveals that mental illness offers its own insight into moral functioning. While we learn a great deal about moral responsibility and exempting conditions (psychopathy and addiction), we also discover that there a multiple ways to be moral and that many individuals act morally despite ongoing conditions (high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and recovered borderline personality disorder). I conclude that these insights ought to shape our ethical theories.

Committee Chair

John Doris

Committee Members

Anne Margaret Baxley, Ron Mallon, Julia Driver, Paul Glaser,

Comments

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/kqye-7w43

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Philosophy/Neuroscience, and Psychology

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

Spring 5-15-2019

Language

English (en)

Author's ORCID

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2344-1450

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