- "This term, introduced by Bernard Williams, has been developed, along with its significance to a coherent moral theory, by Williams and Thomas Nagel in their respective essays on the subject."
The idea that we are morally accountable for things that are beyond our control, such as the consequences of our actions.
Moral Responsibility: This topic explores the concept of moral responsibility and the role it plays in situations involving moral luck.
Trolley Problem: The trolley problem is a classic philosophical dilemma that explores the conflict between the value of human life and the potential for harm in a situation where a person must make an ethical decision.
Luck: Luck is a crucial concept in discussions of moral luck. It refers to the role that chance or random events play in our lives and how they can impact our moral choices.
Agency: The concept of agency refers to the ability of individuals to make choices and act upon them. It is an essential factor in discussions of moral luck, as the degree of control we have over our actions can impact our moral responsibility.
Intention: Intention refers to the underlying motivation behind a person's actions. It can play a significant role in determining moral responsibility and can be impacted by factors such as luck and agency.
Consequentialism: Consequentialism is a moral theory that evaluates actions based on their outcomes. It is often used in discussions of moral luck to explore the potential consequences of different ethical decisions.
Deontology: Deontology is a moral theory that is based on the idea of duty and obligation. It can be used to explore the role of moral responsibility in situations involving moral luck.
Virtue Ethics: Virtue ethics is a moral theory that emphasizes the development of moral virtues and character. It can be used in discussions of moral luck to explore the role that our moral character plays in ethical decision-making.
Free Will: Free will is the concept that individuals have the ability to make choices that are not determined by external factors. It can be an important factor in discussions of moral luck, as the degree of control we have over our actions can impact our moral responsibility.
Moral Luck and the Law: This topic examines the ways in which the concept of moral luck is relevant to the law, including issues such as criminal responsibility and punishment.
Moral Luck in Everyday Life: Moral luck can also be relevant to everyday life and our individual actions outside of extreme hypothetical scenarios like the trolley problem. This topic explores the ways in which luck impacts our everyday moral choices and interactions with others.
Kantian Ethics: Kantian ethics is a moral theory that focuses on the principle of universalizability and the idea that moral decisions should be made based on respect for human dignity. It can be used in discussions of moral luck to explore the role of moral responsibility in situations where luck plays a role.
Teleological Ethics: Teleological ethics is a moral theory that focuses on the end result or purpose of an action rather than the action itself. It can be used in discussions of moral luck to explore the potential consequences of different ethical decisions.
Moral Relativism: Moral relativism is the idea that moral truth is relative to individual perspectives, cultural beliefs, or historical contexts. It can be used in discussions of moral luck to explore the ways in which cultural and historical factors impact ethical decision-making and the concept of moral responsibility.
Moral Psychology: Moral psychology is an interdisciplinary field that combines psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience to explore the cognitive and emotional processes behind ethical decision-making. It can be useful in discussions of moral luck to examine the role that psychology plays in ethical decision-making and how that relates to issues of luck and responsibility.
Circumstantial Moral Luck: This refers to situations where the circumstances of a particular scenario have an impact on the morality of an agent's actions. For example, in the Trolley problem, the decision to pull the lever or not might depend on whether the agent is in the trolley with the passengers or is standing on a bridge overlooking the tracks.
Outcome Moral Luck: This refers to situations where the morality of an agent's actions hinges on the outcome of those actions, which might be influenced by factors beyond the agent's control. In the Trolley problem, there might be situations where an agent's decision to pull the lever has unintended consequences, such as if the diverted trolley crashes into a building or a group of people.
Constitutive Moral Luck: This refers to the idea that some agents might be fundamentally lucky or unlucky when it comes to their moral character. For example, some people might have a stronger moral compass or be better equipped to make ethical decisions, while others might be more prone to selfishness or impulsiveness.
Causal Moral Luck: This refers to situations where an agent's actions are influenced by factors beyond their control, such as genetics or upbringing. For example, an agent might have an underlying psychological condition that makes it difficult for them to make ethical decisions or control their impulses, even if they want to do the right thing.
- "Moral luck describes circumstances whereby a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences, even if it is clear that said agent did not have full control over either the action or its consequences."
- "Moral luck describes circumstances whereby a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences."
- "...even if it is clear that said agent did not have full control over either the action or its consequences."
- "...developed, along with its significance to a coherent moral theory, by Williams and Thomas Nagel in their respective essays on the subject."
- "...by Williams and Thomas Nagel in their respective essays on the subject."
- "even if it is clear that said agent did not have full control over either the action or its consequences."
- "a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences"
- "circumstances whereby a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences"
- "circumstances whereby a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise"
- "a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences"
- "...even if it is clear that said agent did not have full control over either the action or its consequences."
- "Moral luck describes circumstances whereby a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise"
- "a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences"
- "moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise for an action or its consequences"
- "Moral luck describes circumstances whereby a moral agent is assigned moral blame or praise"
- "developed, along with its significance to a coherent moral theory, by Williams and Thomas Nagel"
- "This term, introduced by Bernard Williams, has been developed, along with its significance to a coherent moral theory"
- "...said agent did not have full control over either the action or its consequences."
- "developed, along with its significance to a coherent moral theory, by Williams and Thomas Nagel"