Moral Responsibility | Essay

Running head: MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
Moral responsibility
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
Introduction
The actions of the human beings in the society are considered to be the responses
to the event which is in force during that period of time. In other words, human beings
respond automatically to the situation they are facing. However, many theorists of
morality have tried to understand the reason behind the response and how the event
compels the concerned individuals to act in a particular manner (Edens 2017). While
many psychologists are of the idea that the response of an individual is dependent on
their personality and character, this is in fact, not considered to be true by the
philosophers. They take a more deterministic approach to the entire question of
response to an event. The purpose of this paper is to understand the issue of
determinism. In this context, the true nature of moral responsibility and its
relationship to the element of human freedom and determinism has been judged in the
essay. The essay has looked in to the concepts of libertarianism, hard determinism or
compatibilism to this extent.
Moral responsibility
The aspect of moral responsibility refers to that situation where the activities of
an individual depends on the issue of right and wrong (Clark, Winegard and
Baumeister 2019). In the field of philosophy, moral responsibility is that phenomenon
which deserves the reward, praise or blame and punishment for an act of omission or
compassion which has been performed by the said individual. Deciding on an activity
which needs to be conducted within the frame work of a society is dependent on the
ethical morals which are inherent within that individual.
In other words, moral responsibility acts as a moral compass of the person. There
are no written laws and rules which guides the action of the individuals (Widerker
2017). Rather, the moral responsibility stems from the inculcation of traditional

2MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
customs and norms within that person. In this regard, it needs to be noted that a
person is considered to be morally and ethically sound when he or she abides by the
customary rules of the society (Clark, Winegard and Baumeister 2019). Depending on
the manner in which the aspect of free will is interpreted by an individual, their moral
responsibility would be fulfilled in that direction.
Relationship of moral responsibility to that of human freedom and determinism
The judgement which is made by the other individuals of the society with respect
to the activity which is performed by a concerned individual is dependent on the
extent to which that activity is morally sound. However, this judgement is also
dependent on other characteristic features such as that of the personality of that
individual and their will to undertake that particular activity (Hannikainen 2019). The
behavior of that person is considered to be linked to that manner in which the person
has exercised their capabilities and powers. In this context, it needs to be noted that
the non-human beings, the adult people in the society who suffers from certain
disabilities such as that of dementia and the young children are excluded from the
aspect of moral responsibility (Björnsson and Pereboom 2016).
Thus, the relationship between moral responsibility and human freedom and
determinism is dependent on the characteristics which are inherent within the
individuals (Clark, Winegard and Baumeister 2019). The people of the society who
are sound of mind, can undertake activities based on rationality and practical reason
and have the ability to differentiate the right from the wrong, are considered to be
capable of undertaking moral responsibility (Caruso 2018). Thus, human freedom is
limited to the capable people of the society while the others are excluded from this
element.
Libertarianism, Hard determinism and compatabilism