How much can we ask of collective agents?

Journal article


Collins, Stephanie. (2020). How much can we ask of collective agents? Canadian Journal of Philosophy. 50(7), pp. 815-831. https://doi.org/10.1017/can.2020.42
AuthorsCollins, Stephanie
Abstract

Are obligations of collective agents—such as states, businesses, and non-profits—ever overdemanding? I argue they are not. I consider two seemingly attractive routes to collective overdemandingness: that an obligation is overdemanding on a collective just if the performance would be overdemanding for members; and that an obligation is overdemanding on a collective just if the performance would frustrate the collective’s permissible deep preferences. I reject these. Instead, collective overdemandingness complaints should be reinterpreted as complaints about inability or third-party costs. These are not the same as overdemandingness. Accordingly, we can ask an awful lot of collective agents.

Keywordscollective agency; collective obligation; overdemandingness; ought implies can
Year2020
JournalCanadian Journal of Philosophy
Journal citation50 (7), pp. 815-831
PublisherCanadian Journal of Philosophy
ISSN0045-5091
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/can.2020.42
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85096301822
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range815-831
FunderAustralian Research Council (ARC)
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online13 Nov 2020
Publication process dates
Deposited06 Aug 2021
ARC Funded ResearchThis output has been funded, wholly or partially, under the Australian Research Council Act 2001
Grant IDARC/DE200101413
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8w778/how-much-can-we-ask-of-collective-agents

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 72
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

I, VOLKSWAGEN
Collins, Stephanie. (2022). I, VOLKSWAGEN. The Philosophical Quarterly. 72(2), pp. 283-304. https://doi.org/10.1093/pq/pqab032
Interconnected blameworthiness
Collins, Stephanie and de Haan, Niels. (2021). Interconnected blameworthiness. Monist. 104(2), pp. 195-209. https://doi.org/10.1093/monist/onaa032
We the people : Is the polity the state?
Collins, Stephanie and Lawford-Smith, Holly. (2021). We the people : Is the polity the state? Journal of the American Philosophical Association. 7(1), pp. 78-97. https://doi.org/10.1017/apa.2020.15
Collective responsibility and international relations
Collins, Stephanie. (2020). Collective responsibility and international relations. In In Bazargan-Forward, Saba and Tollefsen, Deborah (Ed.). Routledge handbook of collective responsibility pp. 331-346 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315107608-27
Are organizations’ religious exemptions democratically defensible?
Collins, Stephanie. (2020). Are organizations’ religious exemptions democratically defensible? Daedalus. 149(3), pp. 105-118. https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_01806
Corporations' duties in a changing climate
Collins, Stephanie. (2020). Corporations' duties in a changing climate. In In Moss, Jeremy and Umbers, Lachlan (Ed.). Climate justice and non-state actors : corporations regions, cities, and individuals pp. 84-100 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429351877
Group duties : Their existence and their implications for individuals
Collins, Stephanie. (2019). Group duties : Their existence and their implications for individuals Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840275.001.0001
Beyond individualism
Collins, Stephanie. (2019). Beyond individualism. In In Greaves, Hilary and Pummer, Theron (Ed.). Effective altruism: Philosophical issues pp. 202-217 Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198841364.003.0013
Collective Responsibility Gaps
Collins, Stephanie. (2019). Collective Responsibility Gaps. Journal of Business Ethics. 154(4), pp. 943 - 954. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3890-6
Who does wrong when an organisation does wrong?
Collins, Stephanie. (2018). Who does wrong when an organisation does wrong? In In Hess, Kendy, Igneski, Violetta and Isaacs, Tracy Lynn (Ed.). Collectivity : Ontology, ethics, and social justice pp. 197-220 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc..
When does ‘Can’ imply ‘Ought’?
Collins, Stephanie. (2018). When does ‘Can’ imply ‘Ought’? International Journal of Philosophical Studies. 26(3), pp. 354 - 375. https://doi.org/10.1080/09672559.2018.1489643
‘The Government should be ashamed’: On the possibility of organisations’ emotional duties
Collins, Stephanie. (2018). ‘The Government should be ashamed’: On the possibility of organisations’ emotional duties. Political Studies. 66(4), pp. 813 - 829. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321717739553
Care ethics : The four key claims
Collins, Stephanie. (2017). Care ethics : The four key claims. In In Morrow, David R. (Ed.). Moral reasoning : A text and reader on ethics and contemporary moral issues pp. 193-204 Oxford University Press.
Duties of group agents and group members
Collins, Stephanie. (2017). Duties of group agents and group members. Journal of Social Philosophy. 48(1), pp. 38-57. https://doi.org/10.1111/josp.12181
The present and the future of the Research Excellence Framework impact agenda in the UK Academy: A reflection from politics and international studies
Mhurchú, Aoileann Ní, McLeod, Laura, Collins, Stephanie and Siles-Brügge, Gabriel. (2017). The present and the future of the Research Excellence Framework impact agenda in the UK Academy: A reflection from politics and international studies. Political Studies Review. 15(1), pp. 60 - 72. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478929916658918
Filling collective duty gaps
Collins, Stephanie. (2017). Filling collective duty gaps. Journal of Philosophy. 114(11), pp. 573 - 591. https://doi.org/10.5840/jphil20171141141
Responsibility for states' actions: Normative issues at the intersection of collective agency and state responsibility
Lawford-Smith, Holly and Collins, Stephanie. (2017). Responsibility for states' actions: Normative issues at the intersection of collective agency and state responsibility. Philosophy Compass. 12(11), pp. 1 - 8. https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12456
The claims and duties of socioeconomic human rights
Collins, Stephanie. (2016). The claims and duties of socioeconomic human rights. The Philosophical Quarterly. 66(265), pp. 701 - 722. https://doi.org/10.1093/pq/pqw010
The transfer of duties: From individuals to states and back again
Collins, Stephanie and Lawford-Smith, Holly. (2016). The transfer of duties: From individuals to states and back again. In In M. Brady and M. Fricker (Ed.). The epistemic life of groups: Essays in the epistemology of collectives pp. 150 - 172 Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198759645.003.0009
Collectives' and individuals' obligations: A parity argument
Collins, Stephanie and Lawford-Smith, Holly. (2016). Collectives' and individuals' obligations: A parity argument. Canadian Journal of Philosophy. 46(1), pp. 38 - 58. https://doi.org/10.1080/00455091.2015.1116350
Distributing states' duties
Collins, Stephanie. (2016). Distributing states' duties. Journal of Political Philosophy. 24(3), pp. 344 - 366. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopp.12069