Analysis

In this analysis, I strive to examine the concept of blame and whether the normative reasons for blame can necessarily be translated into normative reasons for moral obligations. I accept Darwall’s argument that moral obligation is necessarily connected to blame and that moral obligation is conceptually distinct from moral reason, i.e. normative reason. Even though Darwall addresses various criticisms at the end of his paper, I remain unconvinced that blame is necessarily a signpost for the existence of normative reasons for moral obligations. The objections that remain unresolved, as I see it, are as follows.