Moral and Criminal Responsibility: Answering and Refusing to Answer

39 Pages Posted: 19 Oct 2017

See all articles by R. A. Duff

R. A. Duff

University of Stirling - Department of Philosophy

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 18, 2017

Abstract

Drawing on Gary Watson’s seminal work on responsibility, this paper focuses on what he calls accountability. It distinguishes (in s. 1), answerability from liability, and then concentrates on answerability, which operates, it argues (contra David Shoemaker), analogously in both moral and legal contexts. It discusses (in s. 2) the way in which answerability requires us to attend to the capacities of the person whom we hold responsible, not just at the time of the conduct for which he is now being held responsible, but at the time of the holding. In s. 3, it then attends to some implications of the requirement that when we hold someone answerable, we must be ready to listen to their answer. Finally, in s. 4, it tackles the issue of standing: what gives us the right to call another person to account; and what can undermine that standing — with what implication

Keywords: Watson, Shoemaker, responsibility, accountability, answerability, capacities, standing

Suggested Citation

Duff, Robin Antony, Moral and Criminal Responsibility: Answering and Refusing to Answer (October 18, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3055111 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3055111

Robin Antony Duff (Contact Author)

University of Stirling - Department of Philosophy ( email )

Stirling, Scotland FK9 4LA
United Kingdom

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