David Shoemaker presents a new pluralistic theory of responsibility, based on the idea of quality of will. His approach is motivated by our ambivalence to real-life cases of marginal agency, such as those caused by clinical depression, dementia, scrupulosity, psychopathy, autism, intellectual disability, and poor formative circumstances. Our ambivalent responses suggest that such agents are responsible in some ways but not others. Shoemaker develops a theory to account for our ambivalence, via close examination of several categories of pan-cultural emotional responsibility responses (sentiments) and their appropriateness conditions. The result is three distinct types of responsibility, each with its own set of required capacities: attributability, answerability, and accountability. Attributability is about the having and expressing of various traits of character, and it is the target of a range of aretaic sentiments and emotional practices organized around disdain and admiration. Answerability is about one's capacity to govern one's actions and attitudes by one's evaluative judgments about the worth of various practical reasons, and it is the target of a range of sentiments and emotional practices organized around regret and pride. Accountability is about one's ability to regard others, both evaluatively and emotionally, and it is the target of a range of sentiments and emotional practices organized around anger and gratitude. In Part One of the book, this tripartite theory is developed and defended. In Part Two of the book, the tripartite theory's predictions about specific marginal cases are tested, once certain empirical details about the nature of those agents have been filled in and discussed.

About the Author
David Shoemaker is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy & Murphy Institute at Tulane University. He is the author of numerous articles on agency and moral responsibility, normative and applied ethics, and personal identity, and he is the general editor of the series Oxford Studies in Agency and Responsibility.

Reviews
Shoemaker gives a sophisticated treatment of a wide variety of marginal agents. His nuanced case studies will provide an invaluable resource for any further work on the real-world conundrums of responsibility. * Daniel Cohen, Australasian Journal of Philosophy *
David Shoemaker's excellent book is an admirably careful, imaginative, and detailed account of a pluralistic account of responsibility . . .This is a wonderful book, and there are layers of value to be had from it. Shoemaker's theory is rich and provocative; his survey and analysis of the empirical research is exemplary. His discussion of the use and misuse of the "moral/ conventional task" is a particular standout. In many of his discussions, Shoemaker is breaking new ground, enriching the field with new examples and areas to consider. This book is a major contribution. * Christopher W. Gowans, Ethics *
Shoemaker's approach will certainly influence how debates about moral responsibility unfold in the coming years. * Matthew Talbert, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *
It is both technically precise as well as clear and accessible, and should be of interest to philosophers, psychological theorists, mental health professionals and caregivers to those who fit the "marginal" label. It breaks new ground in the philosophy of responsibility by drawing important distinctions between types of attitudes associated with responsibility that have long been overlooked and has major practical significance due to the inclusion of suggestions for how our ways of treating marginal agents can be improved . . . Responsibility from the Margins is a refreshing new take on an old philosophical issue that also provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary presentation of new work on the moral emotions and related psychiatric disorders. Anyone who thinks about such issues or has marginal agents in their life, and is unsure of how to relate to those individuals, should find it valuable. * Ben Abelson, Metapsychology Online Reviews *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198801184
Author David Shoemaker
Format Paperback
Page Count 282
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 155mm * 16mm