UPEI to host Research on Tap on December 3
UPEI will host a Research on Tap event on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 6 pm, at the Salvador Dali Caf茅, 155 Kent Street, Charlottetown, PEI.
Dr. Malcolm Murray, professor of philosophy, will give a talk titled 鈥淐an Morality Accommodate Supererogation?鈥� His talk will be followed by a question-and-answer discussion.
鈥淎 supererogatory (or super nice) act goes beyond moral duty, is morally approved, and carries no moral condemnation for failure to comply,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his demarcation raises the following puzzle: 鈥楬ow can we morally praise an action that is not morally required?鈥� Conversely, we may wonder how acting outside the set of morality is still moral.鈥�
Here is an example of supererogation: During a heavy snowstorm, your neighbour is safe in their home, but their driveway becomes buried in snow. You have no obligation to help鈥攜our neighbour didn鈥檛 ask, and it isn鈥檛 your responsibility. But you decide to shovel their entire driveway for them. Shovelling the driveway was a generous, above-and-beyond act鈥攁 classic example of supererogation: something morally good but not required.
Research on Tap is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend.
