Nomy Arpaly

Nomy Arpaly is an American philosopher known for her contributions to ethics, moral psychology, action theory, and free will. She earned dual bachelor's degrees from Tel Aviv University and a doctorate from Stanford University. Arpaly has held academic positions at the University of Michigan, Rice University, and is currently a Professor of Philosophy at Brown University. Her significant works include 'Unprincipled Virtue: an Inquiry into Human Agency' (2002), 'Merit, Meaning, and Human Bondage: an Essay on Free Will' (2006), and 'In Praise of Desire' (2014) with Timothy Schroeder. In 'Unprincipled Virtue', she explores the concepts of blameworthiness and praiseworthiness, proposing that an individual's moral motivations and indifference play a key role in determining their moral standing. She argues for 'Praiseworthiness as Responsiveness to Moral Reasons' and critiques the traditional understanding of autonomy in moral agency. Arpaly also uses examples like Huckleberry Finn's assistance to Jim to illustrate her theories, suggesting that moral worth can exist even when an individual believes they are acting wrongly.