Authority, Cooperation, and Accountability

Authority, Cooperation, and Accountability develops a novel strategy for addressing individual moral accountability in cases where multiple individuals are cooperating in a way that results in wrongful harm. Saba Bazargan-Forward argues that distinct aspects of human agency can be distributed practically across different people, making it possible for one person to be accountable for the actions of another.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 25 August 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Authority, Cooperation, and Accountability: A Novel Strategy for Addressing Individual Moral Accountability in Cases of Wrongful Harm

In the face of egregious wrongs committed by corporations, soldiers fighting in unjust wars, or individuals participating in lynchings, questions of individual moral accountability arise. How can we make sense of the actions of a single employee, solider, or participant when they are part of a cooperative effort that results in harm?

Authority, Cooperation, and Accountability offers a novel approach to addressing this complex issue. Saba Bazargan-Forward argues that distinct aspects of human agency, typically bundled into a single person, can be practically distributed across different individuals. He proposes that we distribute agency through various means, such as forming promises, making requests, issuing demands, and engaging in shared actions. This division of agential labor enables a unique way in which one person can be accountable for the actions of another.

Bazargan-Forward emphasizes that what matters morally is not just our causal contributions to wrongful cooperative activity. The purposes we confer upon one another can also inculpate us. The result is an account that helps us understand individual moral accountability in a bureaucratized world.

The first half of the book develops a theory of accountability in the context of cooperation. The second half applies this theory to war ethics, criminal law, business ethics, and institutional racism. By examining these different domains, Bazargan-Forward demonstrates how the distribution of agency can shape our understanding of moral responsibility.

Through his innovative approach, Authority, Cooperation, and Accountability offers a valuable contribution to the debate on individual moral accountability. It challenges traditional notions of moral agency and provides a framework for making sense of moral responsibility in complex situations. This book will be of interest to scholars, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the ethical implications of collective action.

Weight: 556g
Dimension: 165 x 240 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192862419