CEPPA Talk (in person) – Cécile Fabre (Oxford)

Location: Edgecliffe G03

Title: The Morality of Gossip

Abstract: Gossip is pervasive and wide-ranging. It lubricates and wrecks social relationships. Many people openly confess to loving it yet acknowledge that gossiping, while often gratifying, is, if not morally wrong, at least not quite right. Gossip has not received much attention in moral philosophy. In this paper, I argue that notwithstanding the fact that gossip often has beneficial effects, it is often wrong, on Kantian grounds. To that end, I first provide an account of the phenomenon of gossip and of its value. I then argue that two fairly standard arguments against gossip do capture some morally problematic features of gossip (to do with breach of trust and deception) but are under inclusive. The deeper underlying worry about gossip, I go on to claim, is that it amounts to a particular kind of failure to treat others – be they gossipees or gossipers – as persons.