The concept of group moral responsibility is apparently problematic, in that it is unobvious in what sense a group, which is evidently not a conscious rational subject like an individual person, can be held morally accountable. It is unclear how a group can be said to have the ability to form beliefs and intentions needed for genuine group actions of moral assessment. Broadly speaking, there are two separate platforms from which one can investigate this problem: individualism and collectivism. Subscribing to the doctrinal position of methodological individualism, individualists suggest that individual members are the only capable entities, who can meaningfully bear the burden of moral responsibility, either individually or in a shared way. Collectivists, on the other hand look for an alternative position wherein they advocate the genuine possibility of attributing moral responsibility to groups qua groups. The collectivist approach has received substantial philosophical attention in recent years. However, most supporters of collectivism search for such possibility without strongly invoking the idea of group moral agency. In this article, I argue for an irreducible moral agential status of groups in terms of the intentional actions of their constituent individual members and their special conglomeration. I suggest that certain collective or group entities are capable of being identified as proper agents of moral assessment analogous to that of individual agents of similar assessment.

中文翻译：

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群体道德责任的形而上学

团体道德责任的概念显然是有问题的，因为在某种意义上说，显然不是像个人这样的有意识的理性主体的团体可以追究道德责任，这一点并不明显。尚不清楚如何说一个群体具有形成道德评估真正群体行为所需的信念和意图的能力。广义上讲，有两个独立的平台可以用来研究此问题：个人主义和集体主义。遵循方法论个人主义的理论立场，个人主义者建议个人成员是唯一有能力的实体，他们可以有意义地单独或共同承担道德责任。集体主义者 另一方面，他们寻找一种替代立场，在这种立场中，他们主张将道德责任归于群体的真正可能性。近年来，集体主义的方法受到了广泛的哲学关注。但是，大多数集体主义的支持者在没有强烈援引团体道德代理的思想的情况下寻求这种可能性。在本文中，我主张就其组成的个人成员的故意行为及其特殊的集团而言，群体具有不可还原的道德代理地位。我建议可以将某些集体或团体实体确定为道德评估的适当代理人，类似于类似评估的单个代理人。近年来，集体主义的方法受到了广泛的哲学关注。但是，大多数集体主义的支持者在没有强烈援引团体道德代理的思想的情况下寻求这种可能性。在本文中，我主张就其组成的个人成员的故意行为及其特殊的集团而言，群体具有不可还原的道德代理地位。我建议可以将某些集体或团体实体确定为道德评估的适当代理人，类似于类似评估的单个代理人。近年来，集体主义的方法受到了广泛的哲学关注。但是，大多数集体主义的支持者在没有强烈援引团体道德代理的思想的情况下寻求这种可能性。在本文中，我主张就其组成的个人成员的故意行为及其特殊的集团而言，群体具有不可还原的道德代理地位。我建议可以将某些集体或团体实体确定为道德评估的适当代理人，类似于类似评估的单个代理人。我认为，就其组成的个人成员的故意行为及其特殊的集团而言，群体具有不可还原的道德代理地位。我建议可以将某些集体或团体实体确定为道德评估的适当代理人，类似于类似评估的单个代理人。我认为，就其组成的个人成员的故意行为及其特殊的集团而言，群体具有不可还原的道德代理地位。我建议可以将某些集体或团体实体确定为道德评估的适当代理人，类似于类似评估的单个代理人。