Moral Blindsight and Huckleberry Finn

The case of Huckelberry Finn has been much discussed in moral philosophy. Huck is frequently described as exhibiting inverse akrasia: he akratically does the right thing. I argue that in fact the position ascribed to him in philosophical discussions is more particular than that. It is what I call ‘moral blindsight’: acting for a moral reason in complete ignorance that that is what one is doing. Drawing on Twain’s own later annotations, I contend that moral blindsight mischaracterises Huck; and that, for a number of reasons, we would not normally expect anyone to display it. Huck is knowingly conflicted, and the particular conflict that he displays, between an unreliable conscience, and the call of sympathy, is one that deserves more investigation.