Crossed Wires: Blaming Artifacts for Bad Outcomes

Philosophers and psychologists often assume that responsibility blame only apply to certain agents. But do our ordinary concepts of reflect these assumptions? I investigate one recent debate where assumptions have been applied—the back-and-forth over how explain the impact norms on causal attributions. prominent case it has found matter for attributions, but is claimed not because involves artifacts. Across six studies (total N=1,492) more carefully investigating Hitchcock Knobe’s (2009) Machine Case, find same norm effect attributions with participants tending ascribe both a norm-violating artifact. Further, evidence suggests so they are using terms in broadly normative, distinctively moral, way.