Martina Favaretto is a PhD candidate at Indiana University Bloomington. She works on ethics and history of philosophy, with a special focus on Kantian ethics.
What excites you about philosophy?
Something that I find exciting is participating in a community that aims to advance the scholarship by critically evaluating each other’s contributions. And, even though addressing criticism isn’t always easy, I am always joyful that I get to have the job of being a professional thinker!
What are you working on right now?
I am working on my dissertation, which focuses on Kant’s account of rational agency and investigates how certain emotions Kant discusses influence our capacity to act rationally. For understanding Kant’s account of rational agency, it is pivotal to focus on the Incorporation Thesis, which holds that an incentive can determine the will to an action only insofar as it is incorporated into a maxim by the individual. This thesis stands in opposition to a model of agency in which the agent is caused to act by this or that incentive: for Kant, we act not because we are caused by this or that emotion to act, but because we let it move us to act by incorporating it in our maxim. However, it is not clear what it is to incorporate an incentive into a maxim. And, it is not clear whether certain emotions Kant discusses – e.g. affects (strong, impetuous feelings such as rage or fright) – impede the agent’s capacity to act rationally. At the moment, I am trying to provide an account of what it is to incorporate an incentive into a maxim. I am not fully convinced by a prominent view in Kant scholarship which holds that incorporating an incentive into a maxim must amount to taking that incentive to be a reason for acting. Thus, in the chapter I am writing I address the following questions: Could incorporating one’s incentive into one’s maxim simply mean that one chooses to do so? And if so, must that choice be made according to certain requirements of reflection or can it be unreflective to a certain extent?
What is your favorite book of all time? (Or top 3). Why? To whom would you recommend them?
I’ll mention three books I dearly love. When I first read them, they captured my imagination (though each in different ways) and whenever I come back to them, they each have something new to offer. They are:
John Steinbeck’s East of Eden.
Fyodor Dostoevskij’s The Brothers Karamazov
Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain.
What I like about these three novels is the incredible range of different lives and human experiences that these authors are capable of capturing. They are able to portray characters with completely different motivations, aspirations, flaws and strengths, bringing to light the many layers of the human spirit. To whom would I recommend them? I believe everybody should read them at least once in their lives!
What books are currently on your ‘to read’ list?
Melissa Merritt’s Kant on Reflection and Virtue. I’m interested in figuring out what Kant means by “reflection” and what is the ethical significance of reflection in the context of practical deliberation. This book seems promising for these purposes.
What do you like to do outside work?
I particularly enjoy walking, and eating good food in good company. When I travel back home in the summer, I particularly like swimming in the sea. And traveling, which I have really been longing to do after the last couple of years of Covid.
What is your favorite sound in the world?
The sound of the Mediterranean sea, on a sunny day in June, when the sun is setting and the waves are gentle.
vThis section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
