Aristotle's Theory of Responsibility in the light of Contemporary Theories of Moral Responsibility

从当代道德责任理论看亚里士多德的责任论

• 批准号: 237607633
• 负责人: Professorin Dr. Béatrice Lienemann
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Département de Philosophie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Fellowships
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2012-12-31 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/237607633?language=en
• 关键词: Aristotle; Theory; Responsibility; light; Contemporary

What are the conditions under which a person is responsible for her actions? This question has been discussed intensively since antiquity. In the Aristotelian ethical writings, we find substantial contributions to this long-lasting and ongoing controversy. The goal of my research project is (1) to reconstruct systematically the theory of responsibility of Aristotle and his theory of action in general and (2) to analyze it by applying it to problematic cases of actions and to other subject such as that of character or of the emotions. Definition: A theory of responsibility is a theory of the conditions under which an agent is morally responsible for her actions, its consequences (and possibly also for her character). Approach: Although Aristotle does not present an explicit theory of responsibility in his ethics, I argue that it is possible to extract a coherent and complex theory out of his scattered remarks on the practice of responsibility. My approach is first to reconstruct the scarcely elaborated theory of Aristotle by means of accounts and concepts developed by modern theories of responsibility. Second, an analysis of his implicit theory of responsibility needs also to reflect on its historical context. Classical Greek law and its application in Athenian courts, documented by different orators (e.g. Antiphon or Lysias), seem to form an important source for Aristotle. Furthermore, Aristotle treats actions in tragedy (e.g. Sophocles: Oedipus Tyrannus) as significant when it comes to problems of responsibility. Thesis and results: The remarks that Aristotle makes on the practice of responsibility, e.g. praising or blaming persons for their actions, are original and insightful. His account proves to be very illuminating for contemporary discussions of responsibility as well as that of the compatibility of determinism and free will, because he offers an account that treats human actions and moral responsibility without introducing the concept of a (free) will. The results of the project will therefore be not only of philosophical but also of historical interest. As far as history is concerned, a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the Aristotelian views on responsibility and his theory of action will shed significant light, because Aristotle offers a philosophical conceptualization that helps make explicit both the conditions of responsibility of his time and of the public discourse of holding an agent responsible. With respect to systematic questions, the Aristotelian position proves to be highly instructive and illuminating so that it can also provide a new perspective for contemporary discussions of responsibility and of the compatibility of determinism and free will.

在什么情况下一个人要对自己的行为负责？这个问题自古以来就被广泛讨论。在亚里士多德的伦理著作中，我们发现了对这场长期持续的争论的实质性贡献。我的研究项目的目标是（1）系统地重建亚里士多德的责任理论和他的一般行为理论，（2）通过将其应用于有问题的行为案例和其他主题（如性格或情感）来分析它。定义：责任理论是一种关于行为人在道德上对自己的行为及其后果（也可能对自己的性格）负责的条件的理论。方法：虽然亚里士多德在他的伦理学中没有提出明确的责任理论，但我认为，从他对责任实践的零散评论中提取一个连贯而复杂的理论是可能的。我的方法是首先通过现代责任理论所发展的解释和概念来重建亚里士多德几乎没有详细阐述的理论。其次，分析他的隐性责任理论也需要反思其历史背景。古典希腊法律及其在雅典法庭上的应用，由不同的演说家（例如安提丰或吕西亚）记录，似乎是亚里士多德的重要来源。此外，亚里士多德认为悲剧中的行为（例如索福克勒斯：俄狄浦斯·特拉努斯）在责任问题上是重要的。论文和结果：亚里士多德对责任实践的评论，例如赞扬或指责人们的行为，是原创和富有洞察力的。他的叙述被证明对当代关于责任的讨论以及决定论和自由意志的兼容性的讨论非常有启发性，因为他提供了一种在不引入（自由）意志概念的情况下对待人类行为和道德责任的叙述。因此，该项目的成果不仅具有哲学意义，而且具有历史意义。就历史而言，对亚里士多德关于责任的观点及其行动理论进行详细而全面的分析，将有助于我们理解这一问题，因为亚里士多德提供了一种哲学概念，有助于明确他所处时代的责任条件，以及追究行为人责任的公共话语。关于系统性问题，亚里士多德的立场证明具有很强的指导性和启发性，因此它也可以为当代关于责任以及决定论与自由意志的兼容性的讨论提供一个新的视角。