[6] Her sister Sherri Smith, a prominent fiber artist, is Catherine B. Heller Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan.
[13][14] It analysed in detail the terms of the debate between those who argue that a person is blameworthy for an action performed in culpable ignorance, versus those who hold that while a person is blameworthy for the initial dereliction of failing to acquire information, that does not taint a subsequent action, done in culpable ignorance, that is itself done from acceptable motives.
Smith concluded that the only defense for the position—a controversial one in law and philosophy[15]—is one that holds people blameworthy for the unlucky consequences of their actions.
If S accepts the task but fails to comment on the paper in time, the student will make no revisions, have a dismal interview, and receive no job offer.
Clearly S's accepting the task would enable her to follow the ideal course of action, namely reading and commenting on the paper in a timely way, resulting in the student's receiving a three-year job.
However, in reality if S accepted the task, she would actually fail to comment on the paper in time, either because she would misunderstand the deadline, or because of her time-consuming administrative chores.
Smith argues this case requires the same reasoning as a prudential decision, such as deciding to drive carefully to avoid a crash.
Smith was awarded a National Humanities Center Fellowship during 2013–14 to complete a book manuscript on this cluster of epistemic challenges to using morality to make decisions.
[5] She served as chair of the American Philosophical Association Pacific Division Program Committee, 1989–90,[24] and is a member of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Editorial Board as subject co-editor for Normative Ethics (from August 2013).