On moral responsibility: a metaphysical examination
People throughout history have believed that they belong to a special categorical class called persons. What supposedly makes members of this class special are their status as moral agents. But why do they warrant this distinction? Likely, it is based on criteria such as being able to make choices, …
Discussion & Related
On Moral Responsibility: Why Free Will Might Be the Wrong Question
A philosophical essay arguing that moral responsibility may not require free will, and that the question itself may be misframed.
September 1, 2012 · 5 min read
Free Will and Determinism: Can We Be Responsible in a Clockwork Universe?
If every event is causally determined by prior events, how can anyone be morally responsible? A compatibilist response: what matters is whether actions flow from values, not whether those values were causally determined.
November 4, 2025 · 9 min read