Preempting Oneself: The Right and the Duty to Forestall One\u27s Own Wrongdoing

Economists and philosophers working on problems of rational choice have for some time been concerned with various puzzles raised by so-called Ullysean configurations: actors who rationally cause themselves to act irrationally. (e.g., the person who swallows Thomas Schelling\u27s famous irrationality pill to preempt an attempted robbery). What has attracted less attention is that these configurations present fascinating problems for morality, most especially for non-consequentialist morality. This article undertakes the exploration of some of these problems and the implications they hold for the morality of preemptive detention, preemptive self-defense, the creation of prophylactic crimes (like our drug laws) and a variety of other preemptive practices