College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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Is the distinction between principal, accomplice and accessory morally significant?

English common law draws a distinction between those who participate in a crime, and then accomplices and accessories.

In this talk, Dr. Ludwig discusses the question of the moral significance of these distinctions. He approaches this question from the standpoint of a general theory about the responsibility of individuals in the context of collective action. He argues that in many situations, participants, accomplices and accessories are all fully liable for the harm that occurs.

Kirk Ludwig is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Indiana Bloomington. He specializes in action theory and philosophy of language. His recent work focuses on collective action and group intentions. He has published seven books and dozens of articles on these topics.