I attempt to understand and assess the widespread belief that addiction is relevant to
morality. I examine several accounts of how addiction might be significant from a moral point
of view. Although I briefly discuss theories of virtue, I focus on three possible ways addiction
might be relevant to moral blame. First, blame might be imposed for the act of using
addictive drugs. Second, blame might be imposed for the condition of being addicted. Third,
blame might be imposed for further risks persons are likely to undertake once they have …

\< J imply put, shame feels bad to the person experiencing it. 1 It is a" crisis emo? tion," 2
one we suffer rather than enjoy, dread rather than gladly anticipate. Of course, this fact alone
does not disqualify shame from having positive moral value any more than our simply
having the ca? pacity to feel shame entails that it is a good thing, that it is a capacity we
ought to at? tend to and cultivate. As Arnold Isenberg notes, we must look beyond the
subjec? tively painful, disconcerting experience of shame and consider whether shame" ac …