Cookies?
Library Header Image
LSE Theses Online London School of Economics web site

Agency as difference-making: causal foundations of moral responsibility

Himmelreich, Johannes (2015) Agency as difference-making: causal foundations of moral responsibility. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

[img]
Preview
Text - Submitted Version
Download (711kB) | Preview

Abstract

We are responsible for some things but not for others. In this thesis, I investigate what it takes for an entity to be responsible for something. This question has two components: agents and actions. I argue for a permissive view about agents. Entities such as groups or artificially intelligent systems may be agents in the sense required for responsibility. With respect to actions, I argue for a causal view. The relation in virtue of which agents are responsible for actions is a causal one. I claim that responsibility requires causation and I develop a causal account of agency. This account is particularly apt for addressing the relationship between agency and moral responsibility and sheds light on the causal foundations of moral responsibility.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information: © 2015 Johannes Himmelreich
Library of Congress subject classification: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
Sets: Departments > Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
Supervisor: List, Christian and Bradley, Richard
URI: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/3277

Actions (login required)

Record administration - authorised staff only Record administration - authorised staff only

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics