Thomas Nagel is professor of philosophy at New York University and the author of several works in moral and political philosophy. In this selection Nagel challenges the Kantian way of viewing morality, which assumes that we are all equal rational participants in the moral enterprise, each having the same opportunity to be moral. Nagel suggests that this view is simplistic and fails to take into account the manner in which external factors impinge upon us. They introduce the idea of moral luck, which he defines thus: "Where a significant aspect of what someone does depends on factors beyond his control, yet we continue to treat him in that respect as an object of moral judgment, it can be called moral luck."
Four types of moral luck are considered: constitutive luck, circumstantial luck, consequential luck in which consequences retrospectively justify an otherwise immoral act (or fail to justify an otherwise moral act), and consequential luck in which the consequences affect the type of blame or remorse (or moral praise).
-Nagel contends that ultimately the problem of luck never arises.

Question

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Nagel actually argues that the problem of moral luck presents a challenge to the Kantian view that morality is based on rationality and equal opportunity for moral action, showing that external factors beyond our control can influence our moral judgments and actions, thus the problem of moral luck indeed arises and is significant in his discussion.

Thomas Nagel Is Professor of Philosophy at New York University