Frankfurt vs Strawson on Moral Responsibility

Josh O'Donnelly (0134589) Phil 100/Foss Y08 Essay #2

Strawson vs Frankfurt on Moral Responsibility

A very direct comparison between "The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility" by Strawson and "The Principle of Alternate Possibilities" by Frankfurt is difficult to draw. They are approaching the questions of free will and moral responsibility from totally different angles. Strawson is taking on the traditional notion of "true moral responsibility" in order to show that it is a false notion; Frankfurt is attempting to show that one can, in certain cases, legitimately be held responsible for an action even in the absence of alternate possibilities to that action. In Strawson, the nature and validity of our every-day sense of true responsibility for our actions is at question; in Frankfurt, the circumstances under which one can rightfully be said to not be responsible for one's actions are unde...