Blame and Blameworthy Presentation

Abstract

This chapter argues for the blameworthy presentation view of blame, according to which blame is (a) any attitude that, in virtue of being the type of attitude that it is, presents its target as blameworthy in a negatively valenced way; and (b) expressions of that attitude. This view captures what many (but not all) popular accounts of blame have in common and get right, thus explaining the plausibility of those accounts. The blameworthy presentation view therefore identifies blame’s core. Yet, the view is also a rival to those other accounts and, the chapter argues, is superior to them because of its capaciousness, which allows it to capture the blaming attitudes that the narrower accounts miss.