Moral Agency Responsibility

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Our ordinary moral concepts and practices presuppose the existence of responsible moral agents. We assume that most people are capable of exercising control over who they are and what they do, and we generally regard people as accountable for their characters and the choices that flow from those characters. Indeed, it is hard to imagine how we could engage in any moral relationships without thinking of ourselves and others this way. But we also know that these assumptions present practical difficulties. Lots of circumstances threaten or undermine our agency. In this class, we will explore the philosophical foundations of agency and responsibility and the moral practices that depend on them.