The Theft: An Analysis of Moral Agency

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Published: Sep 19, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/cjp.21995
Keywords:
moral agency moral responsibility moral luck free will Holocaust Ford Pinto case
Gerard Elfstrom
Auburn University
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5604-6556
Abstract
Adam and Eve’s theft marks the beginning of the human career as moral agents.   This article will examine the assumptions underlying the notion of moral agency from the perspective of three unremarkable human beings who found themselves in situations of moral difficulty.  The article will conclude that these three people could not have acted differently than they did.  It will conclude that it is unreasonable to assume that ordinary human beings will inevitably possess the resources to address difficult moral decisions.
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Author Biography
Gerard Elfstrom, Auburn University
I am Professor of Phiosophy in the Philosophy Department of Auburn University.
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