What makes a human person a moral agent?
A moral agent is a person who has the ability to discern right from wrong and to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Moral agents have a moral responsibility not to cause unjustified harm. Children, and adults with certain mental disabilities, may have little or no capacity to be moral agents.
Is an animal a moral agent?
The view that all and only humans possess moral agency indicates our underestimation of the mental lives of other animals. Since many other animals are moral agents (to varying degrees), they are also subject to (limited) moral obligations, examples of which are provided in this paper.
What moral agent means?
A moral agent is any person or collective entity with the capacity to exercise moral agency. It is suggested that rational thought and deliberation are prerequisite skills for any agent. In this way, moral agents can discern between right and wrong and be held accountable for the consequences of their actions.
What is the importance of moral agents?
It is suggested that rational thought and deliberation are prerequisite skills for any agent. In this way, moral agents can discern between right and wrong and be held accountable for the consequences of their actions. Likewise, moral agents have the responsibility to anticipate and avoid causing unjust harm.
How important is moral agent in developing virtue?
Aristotle posits that a moral agent is a deposition, person, or behavior that projects itself in the right way when caught up between extremes, excesses, and deficiency. As such, moral agent is essential as it develops responsible virtues, is held accountable for their actions, and prevents harm.
What does it mean to be a moral agent?
In some situations, a person is a moral agent and is a subject of moral worth in others. Non-human subjects of moral worth generally require a human steward, someone to protect them from harm, to be recognized as a subject. 1. Name some abilities that are essential for someone to be a moral agent.
What is the moral of the animal’s actions?
The animal is learning that a certain action will lead to undesirable consequences. This is not ‘morality’, the animal is not learning that this is ‘wrong’, but that they will be punished for their actions.
Can children be moral agents?
Children, and adults with certain mental disabilities, may have little or no capacity to be moral agents. Adults with full mental capacity relinquish their moral agency only in extreme situations, like being held hostage. By expecting people to act as moral agents, we hold people accountable for the harm they cause others.
What is the subject of moral worth?
A moral subject is anything that can be harmed. This video focuses on distinguishing between the concepts of moral agent and subject of moral worth. Also important to this relationship is the moral community, which includes every person from birth to death.