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1、RelationsofResponsibilityJOHNGARDNER‘Toberesponsible,’saysAntonyDuff,istobeanswerable;answerabilityistoapersonorbodywhohastherightorstandingtocallmetoaccount....Claimsoftheform‘AisresponsibleforX’arethereforeincomplete:theymustbefilledoutbyspecifying...to
2、whomAisresponsibleforX.Thatspecificationneednotbeexplicit...butitmustbeavailable.(Duff2007,23-25.)Duffassociatesmewiththeoppositeview.Icanseewhy.Ihaveclaimedonmorethanoneoccasion(someoftheoccasionsarecollectedinGardner2007)thatresponsibilityisbasicallywha
3、titsoundslike:anabilitytorespond.Morepreciselyitistheabilitytogiveanaccountofoneself,torespondtothequestion‘Whydidyoudothat?’withatruestatementofone’sreasonsforhavingdoneit.Ihavedeniedthatthis‘basicresponsibility’(asIhavecalledit)isrelational.Thereisnobod
4、ytowhomitisowed.Foranabilitycannotbeowedtoanyone.Whatcanbeowedtosomeone,however,istheexerciseofanability.AndthisissurelywhatDuffhasinmindwhenhestandsupforhisrelationalideaofresponsibility.InDuff’ssense,Aisresponsibleifandonlyif(a)AhastheabilitythatIcallba
5、sicresponsibilityand(b)someone,callherB,hasarightthatthisabilitybeexercisedbyA(perhaps,butnotnecessarily,atB’soption).Ifthereisno(b)andnoB,thereisnoresponsibilityinDuff’ssense.Butthereisinmine.DuffandIhavenorealquarrelhere.Iagree(Gardner2007,194)thatthere
6、isasenseof‘responsible’thatmeetsDuff’srelationalspecification.Intoday’spoliticallingo,theword‘accountable’isoftenreservedforit.Likewise,Duffagrees(Duff2007,23)thatthereisasenseof‘responsible’thatmeetsmynon-2RelationsofResponsibilityrelationalspecification
7、.Moreinterestingisthequestion:whichisthemorebasicideaofthetwo?Duffthinksthatthenon-relationalresponsibilitythatIcallbasic‘canbeexplainedintermsofrelationalresponsibility’(Duff2007,23).Ifhemeansthatonecanspecifywhattheabilityisonlybyspecifyingwhatittakesto
8、exerciseit,thenclearlyheisright.Tounderstandanyabilityoneneedstounderstandwhatitisanabilitytodo.InthiscaseitisanabilityofAtogiveanaccountofherself,whichrequiresthattherebesomeonetogiveanaccountofherselfto.YetwhatIca