Luck, Epigenetics and the Worth of Collective Agents
The suggested effects of lifestyles and environmental exposures through epigenetic modifications have been prolific elements of the debate around (backward- and forward-looking) responsibilities for health. This chapter builds on this debate, by highlighting how considerations of luck, as a factor b...
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Format: | Buchkapitel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | The suggested effects of lifestyles and environmental exposures through epigenetic modifications have been prolific elements of the debate around (backward- and forward-looking) responsibilities for health. This chapter builds on this debate, by highlighting how considerations of luck, as a factor beyond one’s control, add another layer of difficulty, not only for the attribution of individual responsibility but also for collective responsibility to prevent and remedy the distribution of epigenetic differences in health risks. As a modest resolution to this predicament, the chapter proposes a focus on the aretaic features of collective agents as appropriate targets for blame. This proposal offers an alternative ground for normative claims of collective epigenetic responsibilities, while also avoiding substantive metaphysical and ontological commitments regarding the nature (and responsibility) of collective agents. |
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DOI: | 10.51952/9781529225440.ch003 |