New paper by Dr. Samuel Mortimer accepted for publication in Philosophy & Public Affairs journal
A new paper “Mopping the Floors or Putting a Man on the Moon? Self-Narrative and the Scope of Individual Moral Responsibility for Collective Actions” by Dr. Samuel Mortimer—Research Fellow at the Kyoto Institute of Philosophy (KIP), Intesa Sanpaolo Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, and Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University—has been accepted for publication in Philosophy & Public Affairs, one of the most prestigious journals in the field of ethics.
Details
In the paper, Mortimer challenges a widespread belief in law and philosophy that people’s moral responsibility for the actions of the groups they’re part of (for example, a business or a government) depends on their degree of causal influence on their group.
Instead, Mortimer shows that people’s moral responsibility depends on their self-narrative. Narratives play an important role in coordinating collective behavior; they also have a deep and pervasive impact on individuals’ experiences and intentions.
Mortimer’s narrative account of individual moral responsibility for collective actions shows that people’s moral responsibility may vary independently of their level of power, causal impact, or hierarchical position in their group. Mortimer’s account thus gains additional significance in light of Professor Yasuo Deguchi’s Self-as-WE theory; if all action is fundamentally collective, then the fundamental role of narratives in moral responsibility, as argued by Mortimer, would extend to all actions.
Others
Kyoto Institute of Philosophy signs comprehensive partnership agreement with Kyoto University
2025.07.08
Professor Markus Gabriel advocates for ethical capitalism at ‘TECH’ international conference in Germany on cutting-edge technology
2025.06.12