Matt King :: University of Alabama Birmingham
"Why blame is not a sanction (and why it matters)"

Abstract: It is commonplace to characterize blame (and our practices of holding each other responsible more generally) as a kind of informal sanction. This idea both makes sense of the relationship between blame and blameworthiness and lies at the core of various skeptical worries regarding moral responsibility. Nonetheless, blame is not a sanction. First, blame (and blaming) doesn't behave as sanctions do. Second, the features of blame that might make it resemble a sanction are better explained via an alternative mechanism. I conclude with some implications of rejecting this pervasive idea.