Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Self-Control And Moral Security, Jeanette Kennett, Jessica Wolfendale

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

Self-control is integral to successful human agency. But the capacity for self-control requires external support. This paper explores the connections between social conditions, self-control, agency, and the self. Part one offers a taxonomy of self-control. Part two examines the external conditions that support successful agency and self-control, and argues that moral security is a critical foundation for agency. Moral security refers to the degree to which an agent believes that her welfare and her projects are valued by others and by her society. Parts three and four explore how narratives about racism and poverty undermine moral security, and limit and …