The status of being the proper target of moral evaluation (praise or blame) for one's actions or character. It typically requires that the agent acted freely and with knowledge of the moral significance of their action.
From Latin 'responsabilis' (answerable) combined with 'moralis' (concerning customs). The concept developed through Christian theology and was refined in Enlightenment philosophy as thinkers grappled with questions of free will, determinism, and moral evaluation.
This concept is under threat from neuroscience and psychology, which suggest our actions are more determined by factors beyond our control than we realize — if your brain decides to act before you're consciously aware of it, are you really responsible? Yet our entire legal and social system depends on the assumption that people are responsible for their choices.
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