Frances Kamm discusses the case of a scientist who works on finding a cure for congenital blindness and is motivated only by a bad desire for mastery to suggest that
A) sometimes an action can be permissible even if it is motivated by a bad desire.
B) all actions motived by bad desires are impermissible.
C) the desire for mastery is not, as Sandel argues, a bad desire.
D) sometimes the only way to cure a disease is through selfish desires.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In her discussion of the scientist's case, Kamm argues that sometimes an action that is motivated by a bad desire can still be permissible if the desire is not the reason why the action is relevantly wrong. In this case, the scientist's desire for mastery does not affect the permissibility of finding a cure for congenital blindness, as curing the disease is morally valuable regardless of the scientist's motivation.

Frances Kamm Discusses the Case of a Scientist Who Works