Burley, M (2014) Karma, morality, and evil. Philosophy Compass, 9 (6). 415 - 430. ISSN 1747-9991
Abstract
The doctrine of karma has been praised as a rational and morally edifying explanatory response to the existence of evil and apparent injustice in the world. Critics have attacked it as a morally misguided dogma that distorts one's vision of reality. This essay, after outlining the traditional doctrine, examines three criticisms that have been central to recent debates: firstly, that the doctrine offers no practical guidance; second, that it faces a dilemma between free will and fatalism; and third, that it involves a morally repugnant form of blaming victims for their own misfortunes. Possible responses are considered, the depth of the disagreement is highlighted, and a morally significant difference between alternative ways of articulating the belief in karma is analyzed.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2014, The Author. Philosophy Compass (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Burley, M. (2014), Karma, Morality, and Evil. Philosophy Compass, 9: 415–430. doi: 10.1111/phc3.12138, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12138. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (Leeds) > School of Philosophy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 13 Aug 2015 11:40 |
Last Modified: | 10 Jun 2016 06:19 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12138 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/phc3.12138 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:85284 |