Full Idea
It is unreasonable to say that people have acted badly because of consequences which were not merely unforeseen but unforeseeable.
Gist of Idea
We can't criticise people because of unforeseeable consequences
Source
Gordon Graham (Eight Theories of Ethics [2004], Ch.7)
Book Reference
Graham,Gordon: 'Eight Theories of Ethics' [Routledge 2004], p.143
A Reaction
Interesting, and it sounds right. A key question in moral philosophy is how much effort people should make to assess the consequences of their actions. We must surely absolve them of the truly 'unforeseeable' consequence.