Ethics is traditionally about how to act. But might it also govern what people should believe, think, or feel? People sometimes blame themselves or others for thinking something racist or sexist, or for fantasising about rape. Yet it is unclear how this could be wrong, since thoughts by themselves do not harm or even impact others.

This project explores the viability of mental duties, and possible explanations of their grounds and existence. It aims to establish the ethics of mind as an emerging field of moral and public inquiry, and to illuminate the moral role of individuals’ inner lives.