Abstract
Luck is one of our most important concepts. In this article, I first argue that extant accounts of luck are deeply flawed. I then argue for a hybrid account of luck that is based around the difference between skill-based and non-skill-based events. This distinction helps us understand the relationships between luck, (mis)fortune, non-agential chance, and fate. My account can also make sense of several difficult cases—for example, fair versus rigged lottery wins, the accidental versus non-accidental discovery of buried treasure, luck in athletic achievement, and constitutive luck.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e70119 |
| Journal | Philosophy and Phenomenological Research |
| Early online date | 30 Apr 2026 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 30 Apr 2026 |
Bibliographical note
I would like to thank James Fanciullo, Adam Bradley, Dan Marshall, andan anonymous reviewer for their help with this article.Publisher Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s). Philosophy and Phenomenological Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Philosophy and Phenonmenological Research Inc.
Funding
The work described in this article was substantially supported by a General Research Fund (GRF) grant project titled “On Luck” (LU13607224)from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Keywords
- fate
- fortune
- luck
- skill
- the modal account of luck
Projects
- 1 Active
-
On Luck (运气好)
HILL, J. L. (PI)
Research Grants Council (Hong Kong, China)
1/01/25 → 30/06/26
Project: Grant Research
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