Moral Vulnerability

All people are born into a state of extreme vulnerability. They cannot grow up without the love and care of others—their parents or other caregivers. But this does not mean that those who grow up and become healthy adults acquire a state of invulnerability. Grownups, as much as minors, can be harmed either by natural events or by actions of other people. In the former case, the victims suffer a misfortune; in the latter case, they suffer an injustice.1 Natural events and actions of people can cause similar effects. For example, people can find themselves buried under the rubble of their houses, with broken limbs, either because of an earthquake or because a terrorist placed a bomb under their house and brought it to explosion. At first sight, it seems as if the difference between misfortunes and injustices could be reduced to a difference between two kinds of causes of harmful effects. But this is not the case. If the people harmed by an injustice—such as a terrorist attack—are responsible agents, they do not only feel the physical pain of broken limbs and the despair about the loss of their homes; they also suffer from the injustice inflicted on them by the terrorist. Responsible agents’ responses to a suffered injustice reveal a particular dimension of their vulnerability, namely, their moral vulnerability. This vulnerability is different from their vulnerability to either physical harm or material loss. My claim is that moral vulnerability is a kind of vulnerability exclusive to responsible agents. Responsibility and moral vulnerability are, so to speak, two sides of the same coin of responsible agency. Responsible agents conceive of themselves as agents who can take the responsibility for their actions; their peers are entitled to hold them responsible for what they have done or failed to do—and vice versa. These agents are bearers of rights, and they conceive of themselves as such. They request their peers to respect them as bearers of rights. As I argue in the following, it is this request for respect that makes them morally vulnerable, namely, vulnerable to the encounter of disrespect from any other responsible agent. Therefore, if a responsible agent has been victimized by a peer, she or he suffers from a moral wound in addition to the pain of any physical wounds or the despair of any material losses she or he may have to endure alongside. These moral wounds cannot be healed either by medical doctors or by builders and insurance companies.In the following, I try to answer three interrelated questions about moral vulnerability: (1) In virtue of what are responsible agents, and only those, morally vulnerable? (2) What kind of moral theory provides a framework for an inquiry into the phenomenon of moral vulnerability? (3) How does it feel to be morally wounded? There is a fourth question, namely, how moral wounds can be healed; I only mention it briefly toward the end of this article, and answering it in detail must be left for another occasion.Growing up is, if all goes well, a matter of becoming a responsible agent, free and autonomous. Such agents are free from the of free to their of under the may be of care of themselves and of the responsibility for their in a that the of care of does not mean of the of those who of and who have been and care of from the they what have in a this is not a is the that is the of this in any those who hold this have a to in their and and They have a in of this take themselves to be and morally who to be with love and care by other morally But is to this who hold it also to be of and moral and agents who can take care of themselves of and their they do not only and to be and and to them in of In to the love and care they from their they to hold themselves in they acquire and and take themselves to be bearers of they acquire the of responsible agents. to this of responsible agents, the of their as in with other and to they request to be by their peers with the respect to them because of the they At the same they acquire the to and respect their peers as bearers of to they in They themselves and their peers in a of responsible agents who are the of a is with respect to their rights. the responsible agents claim to have and that they are to and respect in their peers are of the of any of to to take of the and and to be as a of to be by the agents agents are of their and in the of or harm on all other if a responsible agent harm on another she or he does in the of a moral This is What I to to is that responsible agents are not only responsible in the of by of They are bearers of and conceive of themselves as they request to be by their peers in with the they claim to and they are to other responsible agents’ to them with the respect they are as bearers of rights. is this that I claim to for in of their moral vulnerability. There are, so to speak, two different to the of responsible agency. the responsible agents are free and and by moral and on the they their in a in a on the and of their as bearers of the respect and of their is the of the of responsible that provides the for agents’ moral agents of their with other and to their as responsible agents, they are vulnerable in an are also morally vulnerability is a responsible to suffer from the encounter of disrespect from the of a respect she or he to be entitled it is the to feel as from the to feel In to the encounter of responsible agents can find the that is the of their or to their a in a they in their moral in their as bearers of rights, in other agents’ moral and in their to be by them with This the of responsible it can be virtue of moral wounds on their responsible agents in their as bearers of is not the that that is has the of a moral victims of who are not responsible they the and of responsible agency. If a responsible agent a what she or he does is morally the is to pain and has a natural in not in it can become the of moral But harmed and are not morally they do not conceive of themselves as bearers of rights. can moral wounds on their victims only if victims are responsible agents. harm on other of are morally vulnerable or they a moral wound on as of their in a they themselves to be and people. is with an that causes a responsible agent harm on another she or he to up to the in or as an agent to and and to be by other responsible agents. are all with the of a cannot to that have harmed and of respect for their in not feel and If about moral feel responsible agents are not only morally vulnerable to other responsible they are also morally vulnerable to of how to the of people may hold responsible for their actions and who are morally vulnerable is to There is between those people who are morally vulnerable responsible agents and those who are are the for the of the of responsibility and moral vulnerability, encounter not only also people with kinds of reduced and or to encounter people who to on their moral people who to the of their or people who cannot and care about the morally of their actions on other in must to hold a to to hold people responsible for their actions and to them as of for for inquiry into the of responsible agents’ moral vulnerability, I do not to a I can on of people who are responsible agents. But the of how to a responsible agent has a namely, the of how to a morally vulnerable to the of responsible and moral vulnerability the are all to with a of respect for their if they cannot and or request vulnerability does not on the to the pain of a moral But it be to all to take the responsibility for their the and that respect all as bearers of if this of of the phenomenon of moral this is a kind of vulnerability exclusive to those people who for responsible agency. I on responsible agents themselves as bearers of rights, and request their peers to respect them These agents are responsible and morally How to the of morally vulnerable people is not a that I try to answer have on responsible agents. This can as a agents are the to be of the of and to their and actions be by not any to in moral to into the of moral and into the of their agents who could to the to in with If to the a morally on the and of responsible agents. These agents are also the first to of their actions their with peers and other if left can to and What is is that in of with their agents are not in the of they can as be the victims of other agents’ in the of victims have not as much is not that the phenomenon of responsible agents’ moral vulnerability has been the following, I briefly two kinds of moral namely, those that are in kind and take their from moral or of and those that find the material of in the between and the of their former conceive of responsible agents as free and and the latter as on the of their and by their between those goes to the a and how they to a particular that to in They take the of a moral they on moral and them to the a and an of and about the harmful that or the other of to the have for the people not from that do not the of moral namely, the to in moral and to moral to particular of the different of a moral she in and to the moral two different kinds of moral into the former and the have been by in their responses to about the different moral of and they a between and kinds of or between a and a to are and to and the is on responsible who are free and agents and by moral These agents, in moral moral on moral They are to their and actions be by by and as responses to the of their are in a that moral agent has to they are and on who in to the of the of their care and to them in a for their without much moral of their care are of their as their or other or in These are the they they are to their and can their care In are with their different and agents who are in the of and by moral to between two kinds of and the of to the of the and the In the to all responsible agents, their with their all their they are to do so in a by and All are by and hold other In the of particular to the responsible agents with other of their These may who are not responsible agents, as and who are in or another and cannot their that is, without the and care of between are to be by love and to the of all other In to responsible agents with their and the of their care do not to their do they for their is not between they a in all can to their those who have to in the as they take in the in the care has the in In the of and has been into have in of the that a moral theory with an of They that responsible agents who are by moral an in the moral of a and in the moral in on to hold people responsible for their to them as responsible agents in the first But all agents, also of their in their In the is for care of those in of and those who cannot take care of themselves and responsible agents. the of they are not of any responsibility for their people are not the only of In the free and responsible agents can of care They can take care of not only for their also for their in their and and they can of love and and their for as it and as it from their they the for their in a they can find their in a in the is under the of the the care of the for the phenomenon of agents’ moral vulnerability. as and or of claim from a moral of all responsible agents are namely, by the moral These agents are first and bearers of their is first to the of the moral and and so to their peers all as by from the of responsible agent is entitled to any of or peers any as if or not by all responsible all the to have their of them to an she or he to a moral questions of how they their as bearers of and they are morally vulnerable do not the responsible agents and those by their actions may be different from other in are not in do much to the in the all are they do not an in a or as a of the framework of a is a matter of a responsible a moral responsible can harm on other responsible this does not as this from the of the moral it does not on any responsible of this responsible can disrespect the of a moral this agent does not the of this a responsible can or disrespect of another not to be she or he cannot or this not to be is, the cannot a moral wound on or the of moral the responsible agents have are by this makes the bearers of morally This is are for the phenomenon of responsible agents’ moral are the of for the moral vulnerability of responsible agents in the framework of an of care I to the of an that it as an to do not to the of their care as agents or as bearers of rights, of by moral do they their as a matter of their as by moral the of their care may have the of agents, it is not this to the who care for them in the first to the of their care as vulnerable who their and These are not all the They have that their be is not that the for the of a is the between a a and does not any of their as bearers of rights, the to be care This the to to and the in about or not she or he has a moral to the or the of or care has a to be care to the is to a in the and care she or he is morally for those who have the to this and who are of the responsibility for their Such a may cause a moral wound in the in of and with other kinds of physical and is to or on the physical and from the of or care because in the framework of an of care the is on their to kinds of and their for and responsible agents’ moral vulnerability is to much for for the moral vulnerability of responsible agents the of and the of care and an that the of In the framework of an the of responsible agents is not only in namely, by moral also has a and a acquire this in a of moral that is of their of the in a This is responsible agents to be responsible and to respect the moral from other agents who have this They to themselves as and as bearers of rights, of not only that are by moral that their and from the of other responsible agents. As an responsible is vulnerable to and responsible agent to on the with or peers for or and for up or in or to be by or responsible agent has an by the moral in the it is not the that responsible agent has the same to request to respect or and to them those who are not to respect and a particular and of can be an is, the is the of this agent morally by the of disrespect from the of or to the of responsible agents’ their peers take an of to to any of a moral wound on This that of caregivers. to agents do not have to as people with do they have to into their to request and to What they is to their moral vulnerability from those with they in their and in the responsible agents must they with their peers is the of the of the Responsible agents’ is not only to in or is also to in latter difference from the that agents in and they hold themselves in and their can be or the they request to have and the respect they to them on they themselves in the to they they with other responsible agents, this is by the in the agent to have and by the in this of them to the kind of is as a of respect and is as on who is with of the of may feel the she does not find a for As for an of this I not of the I feel if and to I them in the to be is, to those with I I not this kind of from to and not from the agents’ in a is a matter of and are and is for and about who what kind of respect to What the matter is that it is not the that is as as that of the of to and their of responsible agents as and by moral responsible agents in of of the of on have a on it is much and for agents a of a to hold agents who are their vice between two kinds of namely, and claim is that all have a to all other respect because of their are to be responsible agents. respect can be and it of respect is only to those who from the because of their their in the of and the This of kinds of respect the of to all are in because of their and responsible agents must respect this they with any of to their namely, their are also different from in of the between they may different people and they may namely, to those with to those who between two kinds of respect is that people the respect they to those they with is This is in those in agents of with them as that is, they feel morally can take the of from all in in of of kinds of an be a of an of respect to another responsible agent. disrespect can also take the of an another agent respect this other agent to be entitled to request from the agent. In this disrespect be a of an of respect to another responsible agent. kinds of disrespect have the of a moral wound on the agent who is responsible agents are morally vulnerable to kinds of for responsible agents’ moral vulnerability to a of it is not to that they are bearers of or of This is because a responsible agent who to respect to a cannot or this as a responsible agent are by moral or as a of For morally vulnerable to a of to from in a responsible agent must conceive of or as a of the to this to the to in agent who to have a to in also or as a particular in an and or in with this to all people are morally vulnerable to from their in she of But agents’ to in does not them morally vulnerable to an They are only morally vulnerable to the disrespect of the they and claim to to the and of a responsible and as a of as the for or moral vulnerability, can take a of the phenomenon of disrespect and to a moral wound on the agent who is and disrespect are not she that responsible agents morally wound they them from in an is a of moral it the of morally the agents only if their and have a in the and of their and in the they to request other agents to agent in what she or he and disrespect of another agent does not the to be she or he does not the other from all in or he may the to hold or for or a of in the to they may to the of their any from those they if have the same or are agent may feel or morally by because she or he the respect as the respect she or he to be entitled But an agent may also a moral wound by a respect she or he as as as that the of this respect has the of respect she or he is respect she or he is can also as an In of the is a former to and a of former respect as it to as an to the of who cannot the of the of a that only to them agents, with their do not respect as an the moral request them to is in a In the framework of a responsible agents are in of and and up it may not be the that all of them for the is only for and may that all of them a to a and that they are not to find themselves This is the of disrespect from the of another agent has the of a moral wound on the it may that the other agent is not to the in the and the to this that the agent a of respect and from the of of another agent, she not have or not entitled is not the that of moral a agent the morally if they are of a responsible disrespect of their to be may morally they may do so if they are or suffered a material loss. to to the they in their moral their in their the their inflicted on to the is a and of and in he to the from the of those who to and and to take this kind of moral as the of a to or moral provides an she that the natural for a of an of moral is be and to to the the three in it a of moral (2) is a of the moral who can be not to do As she is to be responsible and she is (3) as the not to be This of as an to that to what it is that makes not only of moral also vulnerable to the may of a can this be to as much as a on seems to that a as a of other the of and moral without any if as to other disrespect as a to the vulnerability of a as a of rights, the of or moral of the moral who have the of responsible agents’ and of their in their and as bearers of is has to the of an not the of disrespect and moral without any of an moral vulnerability. As she has to for as a cause of the of the cannot a to not if is as a has by virtue of by moral claim is that responses to moral to what they as moral request a and a claim is that the of the disrespect not of the of the and the to is for of is that their and of rights, in of with different responsible agents different of a is not to between three kinds of a responses toward the agent who not find for to (1) can the in to it and that the a about and and is in a that is and or (2) the can the is to is so that the is and and of or (3) the can find the is to that can be and that it is for to do In the first case, the the as a who is as a and is or a who is to be an the the take this as a to or and the to be This is the kind of may it it is of moral or an of an and of rights. In the case, the the as up a for and how a he has in the the that it not the who a about and rights, the as and about and In to the the a of and claim of respect to the respect the seems to be to In the case, the by the of the from the of the the pain of a moral wound inflicted on the to and or to it to is the of moral it is of not morally in the of or cannot be a moral for this is a who failed to about it because she of the that as a not this by she this to who only to a that she is a a who of and of to up to it and be a moral be not only be a of the moral wound inflicted on two victims feel if their and of do not the from the of the without any are If the victims their in to the they may feel a kind of to their of their and and to be victims who their may their toward themselves toward the themselves for what the to In the other case, the victims feel this causes a kind of a moral pain to or to the pain by the of a in in to victimized and morally victims may their and find a of their in a They may their in the as a They may find the to be and their a moral and injustices can to any responsible agents find their in a the of their they be If their be moral in In to the kind of can find in responsible agents and other and responsible agents’ moral their to in their and to respect their peers as bearers of rights. the to responsible agents on in their of as of as of and or as to loss of this can have Responsible agents who have of their in a may from all with other agents because they them as of disrespect and of their and to be from morally victims who to their with the as and a the in and other and all kinds of not of as and can also to moral wounds in the of of the in a do not the to and to a What about he and to the from a moral inflicted by the of a or or the of left by a much in a moral wound can an a victimized agent, a of or the of or as a of and the of or request of has a to the of their a to be by those love she or he to all responsible agents have a to be by their the of a moral wound can agents’ of their in their and their their to request a in the and their in the as a inquiry into the of moral wounds has been in This inquiry to the of how a responsible moral wounds can be brought to I can only in find an Responsible agents who suffer from moral wounds have been victimized by their the have them into the of and the victims not have the to Therefore, the agents conceive of themselves as as to be as bearers of have been and in to their their as bearers of rights. They do not to with their peers as as they namely, by to be and the in their moral wounds to victims must try and their as victims to their as bearers of and the to request their may the who inflicted the moral wounds on and respect rights. They must their as peers and this be if they from who and respect them as bearers of and them to their to their as bearers of who are entitled to their respect is the that victims to to their moral wounds to if they can they be to their as victims This claim a I cannot it I to that an to responsible agents’ moral vulnerability. of care for Such an of responsible agents in a namely, as free and and by moral on the and on the other as on their peers for and their as bearers of rights. As bearers of rights, responsible agents are entitled to request to be by their But their as bearers of and their to be them morally vulnerable, that is, vulnerable to disrespect from the of their not responsible agent is morally vulnerable to other responsible agent, and agents’ as bearers of may be or responsible agent is morally This is because the of responsible is an to an as a of by moral to and vulnerability is a kind of vulnerability that is exclusive to responsible agents. In their with their peers and other agents not only to the moral they also to the of those who be by the of their and they be to care for those in kinds of and those that and those she But moral is to a particular kind of vulnerability, namely, moral vulnerability

Computer security · Environmental ethics · Sociology · Vulnerability (computing · Computer Science · History · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics

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