Here is a hypothetical case of group intention, formulated by Ben Koons: Imagine the following case: the country Freedonia consists of three ethnic groups: Blue, Violet, and Green, which are each perfectly represented by an ephor, while a king presents the resolutions to be voted on for any judgment. Its founders framed the Freedonian constitutionContinue reading “Just War and Group Intentions, II”
Category Archives: Intention
Just War and Group Intentions, I
Much of the theory of just war assumes that the warmaker is a single individual, the prince. It is doubtful whether this has ever been true: even in so-called ‘absolute monarchies,’ the prince relies on councilors, advisors, and even some relatively independent collaborators (including bishops and parliaments). In modern times, it is undeniable that itContinue reading “Just War and Group Intentions, I”
Aristotle vs the New Natural Law
Traditional Thomists (like Steve Jensen) and “new natural law” theorists (like Chris Tollefsen) differ radically on the nature of intentional action. For new natural lawyers, I intend to do something only if the thing in question is entailed by some description of my action that figures as such in my practical reasoning. For Aristotelian Thomists,Continue reading “Aristotle vs the New Natural Law”
The Analytic Thomist 