Professor Stocker examines Kahan’s account of the rational weigher, irrational weigher, and cultural evaluator theories and probes for weakness in each theory’s treatment of emotion and risk evaluation. He observes that the challenge in capturing the relationship between emotion and risk results from the fact that “the social values expressed by . . . emotions are typically available only in outline.” He asks us, in conclusion, to consider just “how difficult it is . . . to give a ‘full and final’ account of what patriotism, love, being a good lawyer, etc., [really] requires . . . .”
Volume 156 2008 Response