Folk Morality and the Theory of Bad Actors

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of the bad actor in the context of folk morality by treating the egoist, narcissist, moralist and rule-worshipper as moral theorists. The paper sets out how folk morality is made up of handy ideas and rules of thumb and then identifies possible the content of folk morality: vulnerable rationality and spontaneous affection. It shows how the bad actors fail to incorporate this content and therefore fail to persuade the folk.

Keywords: ethics; moral theory; bad actor; egoism; narcissism; moralism; rule-worshipping

JEL Classification: Z10