Abstract
In my “Promising and Supererogation” I argue that one cannot fulfill promises to perform supererogatory actions (such as “I hereby promise to perform one supererogatory action every month”). In a response to my paper, David Heyd argues that there is an alternative solution to the problem I raise. While I agree with much that Heyd says about the examples he discusses, his proposed solution involves a crucial alteration of the problem; his proposed solution does not solve the problem I present.
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References
Heyd, D. (2005). Supererogatory promises: A comment on Kawall’s “Promising and Supererogation.” Philosophia, 32, 399–403.
Kawall, J. (2005). Promising and supererogation. Philosophia, 32, 389–398.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank David Heyd for his thoughtful comments on my original paper. Thanks also to Peter T. Hooper for additional helpful input.
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Kawall, J. On Promising to Supererogate: A Response to Heyd. Philosophia 34, 153–156 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-006-9017-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-006-9017-9