Topics Ethics

Question Beneficent person (-A-) brings two people (-B- and -C-) together for the sake of helping each of them. Years later, -A- discovers that -B- caused harm to -C- at the time when -A- initiated the help. Does -A- have any responsibility for -C-'s being harmed?

Accepted:
November 17, 2005

Comments

Dear C,

Causal responsibility or moral responsibility?

Causal: Yes, A's actions were crucial in the causal-chain that brought about C's harm; were it not for A's actions, C (probably) would not have been harmed by B in that way.

Moral: No, at least not as you've described things. A didn't wish or intend any harm to C, and, indeed, reasonably thought that bringing B and C together would be mutually beneficial. Too bad B turned out to be a bad egg, but that's not A's (moral) fault.

Upshot: Moral responsibility implies causal responsiblity, but not vice versa. (Well, this case establishes the "not vice versa" part.) No doubt some clever philosopher will try to refute all that I've just demonstrated, but don't believe her. I am off the hook.

Beneficently yours,

A

Question Beneficent person (-A-) brings two people (-B- and -C-) together for the sake of helping each of them. Years later, -A- discovers that -B- caused harm to -C- at the time when -A- initiated the help. Does -A- have any responsibility for -C-'s being harmed? Accepted:November 17, 2005

Question Beneficent person (-A-) brings two people (-B- and -C-) together for the sake of helping each of them. Years later, -A- discovers that -B- caused harm to -C- at the time when -A- initiated the help. Does -A- have any responsibility for -C-'s being harmed?

Accepted:
November 17, 2005