Moral Responsibility and Mitigating Factors

Moral Responsibility

• Moral responsibility involves causality, knowledge, and freedom.
• Causality means the person contributed to the event, either by causing it or failing to prevent it.
• Knowledge means the person understood what they were doing.
• Freedom means the person acted without coercion.

Mitigating Factors

• Mitigating factors lessen a person's responsibility for a wrong.
• Severity of the wrong: The more serious the wrong, the less responsibility is mitigated by other factors.
• Minimal contribution: A person's causal connection to the event is insignificant. If someone passively allows an event to happen, their level of responsibility might be less than someone directly causing the event.
• Uncertainty: Uncertainty about the facts of the case, the person's moral obligation, or how serious the matter is
• Difficulty in acting: There can be difficulties and costs in acting.
• Following orders: Just because someone was following orders does not mitigate responsibility
• Other factors involved: If other parties were involved in causing a wrong, the responsibility might be shared among them.

Case Studies

• Juvenile Offenders: Young people's developmental stage and lack of maturity can be mitigating factors.
• Mental Illness: Severe mental illness at the time of a crime can diminish capacity to understand actions.
• Coercion and Duress: Committing actions under threats or coercion diminishes moral responsibility.
• Lack of Intent: If a person did not intend harm, this lack of intention can be a mitigating factor.
• Cultural and Societal Influences: Cultural background and societal pressures can influence behavior, lessening moral responsibility (Individuals may act based on different cultural norms).

Theories of Moral Responsibility

• Talbert's Theory: Moral responsibility focuses on intentions, actions, and decisions; individuals are accountable for their thoughts, motivations, behaviors, and the consequences of their actions. Intentions are the underlying motives/reasons behind actions. Actions and choices are concrete behaviors/choices made in various situations.
• Frankfurt's Theory: Individuals can be morally responsible for their actions even without alternative possibilities. Instead of looking for alternative options available to the individual, the "hierarchical control" concept examines whether the individual can control the decision or reflect upon it before acting.

Examples of Moral Responsibility

• Cheating on a test: Cheating demonstrates a lack of ethics as the personal gain is prioritized over moral concerns.
• Accepting a bribe: An official accepting a bribe harms the public, prioritizing personal gain over moral considerations.
• Environmental pollution: A company prioritizes financial gain over ethical environmental considerations.
• Plagiarism: A teacher fabricating student work violates ethical behavior and standards.
• Child neglect: Parents who neglect their children's needs fail to fulfill their moral responsibilities.
• Drunk driving: A drunk driver is responsible for their actions (drinking and driving) even if the accident is a result of their own actions.