Abstracts
Abstract
This article aims to explore the concept of victimless damage. This refers to paradoxical cases where a perpetrator and a moral wrong can be easily identified, but where somehow the role of the victim as such can be questioned. In order to explore this concept, I will first offer a typology of cases that could be labelled under this umbrella concept—namely, (1) cases of deceased victims, (2) biotechnological or no-identity cases, and (3) the ones related to lack of awareness due to epistemic injustice. Then, after highlighting the common traits and discussing some fuzzy cases, I will flesh out the main arguments for and against of the existence of and need for this concept, on the basis of both moral objectivism and subjectivism. In my view, delving into these arguments could shed some light on the metaethical debate on the sine qua non conditions of moral damage and its relation to moral wrongness. Finally, I will conclude by advocating for the need to introduce a gradational concept of moral damage and the second-person perspective into moral philosophy in order to take into account potential cases of victimless damage, but without having to accept the premises of moral realism.
Résumé
Cet article vise à explorer le concept de dommages sans victime. Cela ferait référence à des cas paradoxaux dans lesquels un sujet et un tort moral pourraient être bien identifiés, mais où le rôle de la victime en tant que tel pourrait être remis en question. Pour ce faire, je proposerai d’abord une typologie des cas pouvant être étiquetés selon ce concept général, à savoir: 1) les victimes décédées, 2) les cas biotechnologiques ou sans identité, et 3) ceux liés au manque de sensibilisation dû à l’injustice épistémique. Deuxièmement, après avoir mis en évidence les traces communes et discuté de cas flous, je développerai les principaux arguments potentiels contre et en faveur de l’existence et de la nécessité de ce concept, à la fois à partir de traditions d’objectifs moraux et subjectivistes. À mon avis, approfondir ces arguments pourrait éclairer le débat méta-éthique sur les conditions sine qua non du dommage moral et son rapport avec le tort moral. Finalement, je conclurai en plaidant pour la nécessité d’introduire des concepts graduels et le point de vue de la seconde personne en philosophie morale afin de mieux rendre compte de la complexité inhérente aux cas de la vie quotidienne.
Appendices
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