As members of the moral community, it’s important to consider who – or what – qualifies as a moral agent. In this talk, I work towards a framework for moral agency, according to which there are different types of moral agents associated with a hierarchy of relevant qualifying characteristics. When attempting to classify entities, then, the relevant question will not be whether an entity is a moral agent, but rather what type of moral agent that entity is. This talk has three aims: (1) defend a criteria-based approach to defining moral agency, (2) evaluate potential conditions for moral agency, and (3) introduce a taxonomy of moral agency based on these criteria. If successful, my proposal will provide an alternative account of moral agency distinct from those offered in the literature. This analysis will set the stage for future work on the role of artificial intelligence in moral decision-making.
This meeting will be hybrid. Please contact Matthew Hewson for a link.
