The liar cares about the truth and attempts to hide it; the bullshitter doesn’t care whether what they say is true or false!
Harry Frankfurt’s concept of the “quality of will” is central to his philosophical exploration of moral responsibility, particularly in relation to free will and moral blame. Frankfurt, an American philosopher, introduced several influential ideas in the field of ethics and the philosophy of mind, particularly in his discussions of personal freedom and responsibility. His notion of “quality of will” refers to the moral worth or value of a person’s intentions, desires, and attitudes as they relate to their actions and how those actions affect others.
Key Ideas in Frankfurt’s Quality of Will:
1. Moral Responsibility and Intentions:
• Frankfurt suggests that the moral responsibility of a person is not merely determined by the consequences of their actions, but also by the quality of their will—that is, the nature of their intentions and desires. A person’s will is “good” or “bad” depending on the care, concern, or indifference they show toward others when they act.
• For instance, if someone acts with genuine concern for the well-being of others, they exhibit a high quality of will. On the other hand, if someone acts out of indifference or malicious intent, their quality of will is low, even if the consequences of their actions turn out to be harmless or beneficial.
2. Second-Order Desires:
• In his well-known essays, such as Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person, Frankfurt discusses the difference between first-order desires (basic desires, such as wanting to eat) and second-order desires (desires about desires, such as wanting to want to be healthy). The quality of a person’s will is shaped by their second-order desires, because these desires reflect the person’s deeper values and sense of self-control.
• The ability to reflect on and endorse or reject certain desires is central to having a “free will,” and the quality of this reflective process affects moral responsibility.
3. Caring and Moral Blame:
• The quality of will can also be understood through the lens of caring. Frankfurt argues that what we care about shapes the kind of person we are and how we make decisions. When we act in ways that show a lack of care for others or act on motives that reflect disregard, we reveal a poor quality of will, making us morally blameworthy.
• In cases where a person causes harm but acted out of good intentions (high quality of will), they may be less blameworthy than someone