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20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 4. Responsibility for Actions

[whether motives were sufficiently good]

29 ideas
If you repent of an act done through ignorance, you acted involuntarily, not non-voluntarily [Aristotle]
For Aristotle responsibility seems negative, in the absence of force or ignorance [Irwin on Aristotle]
An action is voluntary when it is accompanied by thought of some kind [Aristotle]
We are responsible if our actions reflect our motivation [Aristotle, by Frede,M]
Our own choices are autonomous, and the basis for praise and blame [Epicurus]
Stoics said responsibility depends on rationality [Stoic school, by Sorabji]
Epictetus developed a notion of will as the source of our responsibility [Epictetus, by Frede,M]
We do not praise the acts of an efficient automaton, as their acts are necessary [Descartes]
The greatest perfection of man is to act by free will, and thus merit praise or blame [Descartes]
We are the source of an action if only our nature can explain the action [Spinoza]
We act when it follows from our nature, and is understood in that way [Spinoza]
We love or hate people more strongly because we think they are free [Spinoza]
Praise and blame can only be given if an action proceeds from a person's character and disposition [Hume]
You can only hold people responsible for actions which arise out of their character [Hume]
Actions done for a purpose are least understood, because we complacently think it's obvious [Nietzsche]
Nietzsche failed to see that moral actions can be voluntary without free will [Foot on Nietzsche]
My freedom increases as I broaden my vision of possiblities and motives [Jaspers]
We could only be responsible if we had consented before birth to who we are [Cioran]
Responsibility seems to conflict with events being either caused or not caused [Chisholm]
Desires may rule us, but are we responsible for our desires? [Chisholm]
Responsibility involves cause, intention, state of mind, and response after the event [Williams,B]
Criminal responsibility can be fully assigned to each member of a group [Walzer]
Liberals say we are only responsible for fully autonomous actions [Kekes]
Collective responsibility conflicts with responsibility's requirement of authonomy [Kekes]
We may still admire a person's character even if the traits are involuntary [Statman]
People's actions are explained either by their motives, or their reasons, or the causes [Lowe]
There may be a justification relative to a person's view, and yet no absolute justification [Stout,R]
An action is only yours if you produce it, rather than some state or event within you [Stout,R]
Legal excuses are duress, ignorance, and diminished responsibility [McMahan]