Moral Luck

Moral luck, at its core, questions the fairness of holding individuals morally accountable for outcomes that are partly determined by chance or external circumstances. This concept arises because we typically believe moral responsibility should be tied to actions and intentions within an agent's control.

There are different types of moral luck, including resultant luck, circumstantial luck, and constitutive luck. Resultant luck concerns the moral assessment of actions based on their actual consequences, even when those consequences are unintended or unforeseen. Circumstantial luck involves being praised or blamed for actions made possible by the circumstances one finds oneself in. Constitutive luck refers to the moral assessment of a person based on their character traits, which are influenced by factors beyond their control, like genetics or upbringing.

The concept of moral luck is philosophically significant because it forces us to reconsider the relationship between control, responsibility, and moral judgment. It exposes a tension between our intuitions about fairness and the realities of how moral assessments are often made.

One of the key arguments against moral luck is that it undermines the very foundation of moral responsibility. If moral assessments are influenced by factors beyond our control, then it seems unfair to hold individuals truly responsible for the outcomes.

However, proponents of moral luck argue that it reflects the complexity of moral life and the interconnectedness of human actions. They contend that ignoring the role of luck would lead to an overly simplistic and unrealistic view of moral responsibility.

Consider two drivers, both driving under the influence. One driver hits and kills a pedestrian, while the other makes it home safely. Resultant luck dictates that the driver who caused the death is judged more harshly, even though both drivers acted with the same level of culpability in their initial decision to drive drunk.

The debate surrounding moral luck highlights the difficulty in defining and assigning moral responsibility in a world where chance plays a significant role. It forces us to grapple with the limits of our control and the implications for how we judge ourselves and others.

The implications of moral luck extend to various fields, including law, ethics, and social policy. Understanding moral luck can inform our approaches to punishment, reward, and the allocation of resources in society.