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Moral Luck: Are We Responsible for What We Can't Control?
When outcomes beyond our control determine our moral judgment
Two drivers text at the wheel. One's child runs out — fatality. The other drives home safely. Do they deserve different moral judgments for the same reckless act?
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Moral luck, a concept explored by philosophers Thomas Nagel and Bernard Williams, refers to the way factors outside our control affect the moral judgments we make about people — including ourselves. Two equally reckless drivers, two equally negligent doctors, or two soldiers in different circumstances may be judged very differently based purely on outcomes they could not control.
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It's okay to be wrong. The thinking process is what matters.
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Question 1 of 1What makes 'circumstantial moral luck' particularly challenging to our notion of responsibility?