What I Wrote in 2013

2013 was a productive year for me. I was able to finish all the requirements of my PhD program (ABD), spend lots of time with my family and friends and found a little time to get further writing done. I am sad to see 2013 go but I think I’ll take the advice of the great Dr. Seuss when he said “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

I think it’s important to reflect on the past and what better time to do that than at the beginning of the new year. It’s also good to see what the hell I was able to accomplish. Thanks to Eric Schwitzgebel for the idea. So, below is a list of most of my writing this past year. Thanks to those that engaged with me on these topics for forcing me to get clear on my views. Cheers to a productive 2014.

This work appeared in print in 2013:

•  Free Will and Moral Responsibility, (with Ish Haji) Cambridge Scholars Publishing Hardcover Release (October 15)

• “Moral Responsibility and Psychopathy: Why We Do Not Have Special Obligations to the Psychopath” (preprint), American Journal of Bioethics-Neuroscience, 4(2) pp. 26-27. (Final version on publishers website, here)
• “Perception of Addiction and Its Effects on One’s Moral Responsibility” (preprint), American Journal of Bioethics-Neuroscience, 4(3) pp. 43-44. (Final version on publishers website, here)

• “Introduction: Mapping the Terrain”, in I. Haji and J. Caouette (eds.) Free Will and Moral Responsibility, Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Here are my favorite blog posts from 2013 :

• “Does Blameworthiness Require Wrongdoing?” (Feb 11)
• “Hard Incompatibilism and Ethics: Some Concerns” (July 1)
• “What’s Wrong With Rolling Stone’s August 3rd Cover? Nothing!” (July 18)
• “Edward Snowden: A Modern Day Patriot?” (August 10)
• “Free Will and Love” (October 4)
• “A Dilemma Concerning Moral Obligation” (November 4)
• “Moral Responsibility and Volunteer Soldiers” (December 3)

I also have a bunch of other writing in draft form that is not quite ready to be circulated. One goal in 2014 is to finish my dissertation and break some of the ideas down into smaller publication form. Another goal is to write 3-5 pages a day (thanks to Marcus Arvan for the advice, see here). I’m hoping this will lead to more productivity. I see no good reason one cannot produce 3-5 substantial publications per year, especially if one is not over worked with teaching or struck with prolonged illness. This year I only published 2 commentaries, 1 book chapter, and one edited collection. This was good for me, but I need to do better. Hopefully, my new strategy of writing 3-5 pages a day will result in more substantial publications than I was able to pull off in 2013.

Good luck to all in accomplishing your goals in 2014!

-Justin