THE HIERARCHICAL AND ARISTOTELIAN MODELS OF MORAL RESPONSIBILITY IN PUBLIC OFFICE

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine how the Hierarchical Model of Moral Responsibility (HM), and the Aristotelian conditions allocate moral responsibility through two case studies. HM is based on Weber’ s model of the managerial authority in the office hierarchy of bureaucracies. The Aristotelian model assigns moral responsibility via the epistemic, and control conditions. I examine how HM, and the Aristotelian model allocate responsibility more adequately in case studies. I conclude that the case studies reveal HM's incapacity to allocate responsibility in a way that leads to the best outcomes for the public good, primarily due to its inflexible, and unrealistic depiction of the office hierarchy. I demonstrate that the Aristotelian conditions are better suited to allocate moral responsibility to public officials for policy outcomes in the relevant case studies.