Moral Luck: Crash Course Philosophy #39
CrashCourse・2 minutes read
Drunk drivers A and B, explored through the lens of moral responsibility, raise questions about assigning blame when external factors affect outcomes, challenging traditional notions of praise and blame. Philosophers like Nagel suggest that circumstances beyond our control complicate moral assessments, leading to a reevaluation of the roles of praise and blame in promoting certain behaviors.
Insights
- Moral responsibility hinges on the "ought implies can" principle, indicating that individuals can only be held accountable for actions within their control, as discussed by Bernard Williams and Thomas Nagel.
- The interplay of external factors, constitutive and circumstantial luck, challenges the conventional notions of assigning blame, prompting a reevaluation of the fairness and effectiveness of praising and blaming individuals for their actions.
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Recent questions
What is moral responsibility?
Moral responsibility involves acts or states for which praise or blame can be assigned, following the principle of "ought implies can" - you can only be morally required to do what is possible for you.
How do external factors influence moral responsibility?
External factors, constitutive luck, circumstantial luck, and antecedent and consequent circumstances, all play a role in the moral quality of actions, as argued by Nagel.
What is the distinction between causal and moral responsibility?
The distinction between causal and moral responsibility is crucial, with moral responsibility reserved for moral agents capable of making decisions based on right and wrong.
How do thinkers like Bernard Williams and Thomas Nagel view moral responsibility?
Thinkers like Bernard Williams and Thomas Nagel use scenarios to explore moral responsibility, highlighting the complexities of blame in such situations.
What is the concept of moral luck?
The concept of moral luck questions the fairness of assigning blame based on outcomes influenced by external factors, leading to a deeper understanding of moral responsibility.
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Summary
00:00
Exploring moral responsibility in drunk driving case.
- A and B, both drunk, drive home from a party in identical vehicles, with A leaving just minutes before B. B, encountering a child on the road, is unable to avoid hitting and killing the child due to impaired reaction time from alcohol.
- Thinkers like Bernard Williams and Thomas Nagel use this scenario to explore moral responsibility, highlighting the complexities of blame in such situations.
- Moral responsibility involves acts or states for which praise or blame can be assigned, following the principle of "ought implies can" - you can only be morally required to do what is possible for you.
- The distinction between causal and moral responsibility is crucial, with moral responsibility reserved for moral agents capable of making decisions based on right and wrong.
- External factors, constitutive luck (related to disposition), circumstantial luck (related to situations), and antecedent and consequent circumstances, all play a role in the moral quality of actions, as argued by Nagel.
- Nagel suggests that external factors beyond our control challenge the logic of assigning moral praise and blame, leading to the idea that blame should be lessened or not assigned at all.
- Some argue that praise and blame are more about encouraging or discouraging behaviors rather than moral responsibility, with society's interests influencing the assignment of praise and blame.
- The concept of moral luck is explored, questioning the fairness of assigning blame based on outcomes influenced by external factors, leading to a deeper understanding of moral responsibility.
