Objective and Subjective Reasons

Abstract

Abstract This chapter opens Part 2: Province of the book, which moves outward from the internal workings of reasons and explores the relationships between reasons and other closely related concepts. In this chapter we explore the relationship between objective and subjective reasons. The idea that objective and subjective reasons correspond to two distinct dimensions of normative assessment is introduced, as well as the framework of thinking of subjective reasons as imposing some perspective. Two components of the perspective behind subjective reasons are distinguished—the mind-to-world, and the world-to-mind. And the relative priority of objective and subjective reasons is explored, focusing on obstacles both to the view that subjective reasons are analyzable in terms of objective reasons, and the contrary view that objective reasons are analyzable in terms of subjective reasons. Both of these views are contrasted with the much-less-appreciated common core account, on which both objective and subjective reasons are analyzable in terms of a common core.