moral responsibility
Blame or credit
Moral responsibility is the state of deserving praise or blame for one's actions.
A person bears moral responsibility when they act freely, understand the consequences, and could have chosen otherwise.
The concept underlies systems of justice, ethics, and everyday judgments about character: She accepted moral responsibility for the accident.
Philosophers debate whether moral responsibility requires free will or can exist in a deterministic universe.
Guilt for wrongdoing
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
- regretSorrow over past actions
- self-reproachBlaming oneself for wrongdoing
self-condemnation · repentance · penance · blame · fault · culpability · sorrow · absolution
Obligation to explain oneself
- culpabilityDeserving blame for wrongdoing
- blameworthinessDeserving moral condemnation
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- reproachExpression of disappointment
amends · restitution · reparation · redress · rectification · atonement · confession · acknowledgment
Moral soundness and consistency
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- justiceFair treatment under law
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
righteousness · honesty · decency · dignity · respect · equity · compassion · empathy
Required task or commitment
- commitmentFirm pledge to act
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
- chargeCost or accusation
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
role · burden · service · custodian · safeguard · uphold · preserve · honor
Unspoken mental dialogue
- scruplesMoral reservations about acting
- compunctionUneasiness from guilt
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- self-examinationScrutiny of one's thoughts
soul-searching · discernment · judgment · conscientiousness · principles · guilt · qualms · unease
remorse
Guilt for wrongdoing
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
- regretSorrow over past actions
self-reproach · self-condemnation · repentance · penance · blame · fault · culpability · sorrow · absolution · redemption
answerability
Obligation to explain oneself
- culpabilityDeserving blame for wrongdoing
- blameworthinessDeserving moral condemnation
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
reproach · amends · restitution · reparation · redress · rectification · atonement · confession · acknowledgment · admission
integrity
Moral soundness and consistency
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- justiceFair treatment under law
fairness · righteousness · honesty · decency · dignity · respect · equity · compassion · empathy · benevolence
obligation
Required task or commitment
- commitmentFirm pledge to act
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
- chargeCost or accusation
mandate · role · burden · service · custodian · safeguard · uphold · preserve · honor · allegiance
inner voice
Unspoken mental dialogue
- scruplesMoral reservations about acting
- compunctionUneasiness from guilt
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
self-examination · soul-searching · discernment · judgment · conscientiousness · principles · guilt · qualms · unease · misgivings
- freedomfreedom of choice, freedom of will, free will, expression, speech
- ethicsdeontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism, consequentialism
- free willfree will, choice, volition, autonomy, initiative
- religious ethicsChristian ethics, divine command, divine law, love thy neighbor, sacred law
- moral theologyconscience, mortal sin, venial sin, natural law, cardinal virtues
- scholastic ethicsvoluntary act, involuntary act, volition, voluntarism, conscience
moral responsibilityblamelessness
Freedom from culpability
unaccountability · impunity · absolution · exculpation · exoneration
moral responsibilitydeterminism
Doctrine of causal necessity
compulsion · coercion · duress · involuntariness · automatism
moral, responsible, immoral, morality, morals, responsibility, mores, irresponsible, morally