Chapter 10, Responsibility
In this chapter, we give a short story: a conflict between the owners of a cat and a dog
about who or what is responsible for an accident. The murky situation leads into a discussion
of cause and effect, and then responsibility versus freedom (the limits of freedom) and the
absence of liability. Finally, first principles or patterns for the assignment of
responsibility and liability are stated or suggested last.
Fred and Felix
Felix the cat lives in a one-tree park. Imagine every time Fred the dog visits the one-tree
park, Felix climbs the tree. On one visit, Felix steps on a rotten branch, falls and breaks a
leg. In what sense is Fred the cause of this accident? In what sense is Fred the dog
responsible? The argument between the owners of these animals follows
Felix's owner claims that Fred is a mean, vicious dog. So Felix had to climb the tree to
escape Fred. The accident would not have occurred without Fred's visit to the park. So
according to Felix's owner, Fred was the cause of the accident.
Fred's owner counters that Fred is a very friendly, good-natured dog, not interested in
harming Felix. Felix was perfectly safe when Fred visited the one-tree park. Moreover, on the
day in question, the broken leg was a result of Felix's unnecessary actions, not Fred's.
Fred's owner continues: On the day in question, Fred as usual visited the park to walk about.
The idea that Fred is vicious is a figment of Felix's imagination. While Felix climbed the
tree every time Fred visited the one-tree park, Felix was climbing the tree at his own
initiative. Felix had a false fear of Fred. The cat Felix was therefore responsible by
himself for climbing the tree.
Felix's owner then suggests that Fred's owner is responsible for the accident since the
latter should know about Felix having a natural fear of dogs. Fred's owner replies …. The
argument goes on.
Most of the neighbors listening to this argument agree with Felix's owner. They suggest Fred
be punished. Fred's owner refuses. A year later, Felix the cat in chasing a bird climbed into
the tree again, and fell on the other leg. Felix the fragile feline lived. Poor Fred was not
there to be blamed. (One neighbor who missed the result of the argument wondered where or how
is Fred? He did not have enough information to answer this question.
Limits to Freedom
Human activities are based on regularity. In our daily lives, we know when we do a first
action.
Human activities are based on regularity. In our daily lives, we know when we do a first
action A, then a second action B will (almost always)
occur. The first action A is said to be a cause of the second
B. Of course, the second event B may have another cause.
That is, the second action B may occur without the first action
A if there is a third action C with the property that when
this third action C occurs, so does or must the second action
B.
As a human being, if you deliberately make a situation A happen, then you
caused A to occur deliberately. The word deliberately is often omitted. It
is often understood or assumed, if it is not spoken. On the other hand if you accidentally
make a situation A happen, then you caused A accidentally.
Are you responsible for harmful results that you accidentally caused? Your responsibility in
this matter may depend on what you knew and on your local legal system. Of course, when
accidental situation A appears to be good, many will claim credit if not
responsibility.
The removal of responsibility and liability for our actions gives greater freedom to act. For
instance, when drivers are not held liable for their actions, the roads and highways become
more dangerous. Damages and compensation for accidents are not automatically available.
Liability and insurance here lessen the material, but not the human, consequences of
accidents. Most states and countries require car drivers and owners to pass driving exams and
to pay for insurance.
In some states and countries, an uninsured or an uninsurable driver is allowed one accident
before being forbidden to drive. In other states or countries, that represents one accident
too many. So people without insurance are not allowed to drive. For the safety of myself and
my neighbors, I prefer to make my home in a region where driving without insurance is
forbidden. Insurance is needed so that people hurt through accidents may be compensated, that
is, taken care of.
In contrast to the situation with cars, the liability of businesses and industries is often
removed or lessened via regulation or specially written (or loosened) laws. But the removal
of legal liability also removes the enforcement of responsibility. Without this liability,
reckless and uninsured drivers and their vehicles are tolerated and encouraged. If insurance
is not affordable for some new industrial activity then the scale of that activity should be
decreased until the price of full liability insurance becomes feasible. There should be no
rush. An idea that is good today can still be pursued tomorrow. Uninsurable drivers and
uninsurable vehicles should not be moving in the public domain!
Principles For Responsibility
Responsibility for actions could be based on the following principles.
- Suppose that you know that an action A forces or encourages a situation
B to happen. Then if you did the action A deliberately, you have caused
B to occur deliberately as well. Blame here is obvious.
- Suppose that you know that situation A forces situation B to occur.
Then if you accidentally caused A to occur, you have accidentally caused B
to occur as well. Blame here is not obvious.
- When you do not know that A implies B, and you cause A to
occur deliberately, then you have accidentally caused B to occur as well. Blame here
is not obvious.
- Suppose you should know that an action A implies a harmful event B, or
makes the event B very likely to occur. Now if you deliberately or accidentally
cause A or make A likely to occur, then you have negligently caused B. You
should have known better. Blame here is obvious.
- Suppose you know that an action A once taken will do no harm. Further suppose
you know that the action A taken several times will cause harm. Then if you are part
of a group repeating the action A , you are part of a group whose actions (and
acquired rights) need to be controlled and whose liability for the harm needs to be defined.
No doubt the above principles can be refined or others added. All possibilities have not been
considered in suggesting them.
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For home-tutoring or -schooling, or for schools or colleges
with course content control: Secondary
Mathematics for Ages 11+, A Practical Approach.
May 2012, Composition Starting:
Pre-School and Primary Mathematics - Quantitative Skills, An
Intellectual View, Feedback Welcome:
The 8 Most Popular Site Inlinks
Parent Center: Help your child or teen
learn:
Parent-friendly
Work Booklets for ages 3+ to 13 Use these or others to check
or build skills. Other booklets are available but these booklets
allow parents unsure of themselves in mathematics to help their
children. The selection acquired in Canada is published in the
USA. So it has a US orientation. In retrospect, the selection
shows parents what to check with the booklets or by other ways,
the choice is theirs. But in retrospect, the selection does not
cover integral and fractions liquid weights and measures - ask
the publishers to correct that! For ages 9 to 12 say, parents may
compensate by showing boys and girls how to use weights or mass,
and further measures in food preparation. Beyond that children
may be shown how to measure and calculate angles, lengths and
areas [proportional amounts too] directly or by using maps and
plans drawns to scale. Learning how to gather and measure all the
ingredients, pots and pans for a dish or a meal, along with
cleaning up sets the stage for like activities or experiments in
science courses, and in developing organizational skills,
gives boys and girls a head start. Good luck. At the other
extreme, more comprehensive than light, if your motto is
McCainian: drill, drill, drill then Toronto
mathematician and actor John Mighton's jump math organization has jump math
workbooks for at least grades 3 to 8 for at-home and in-school
use - training sessions for teachers available. Jump math has
been expanding to cover older students. Jump Math Samples: plus
Fractions for
Grades 3-4 & Grades 5-6 [Read] Free Resources grades 1 to 8
[unread - likely to be good]. and
Mathematics
Skills For Ages 3 to 14 - technical!
Skills with take
home value - A few ideas
Basic skills include
time-date-calendar Matters; money matters; map, plan and
scale diagram matters;counting, measuring and figuring;
decision making with logic and likelyhood; being careful and
being aware of the domino effect of mistakes; reading and
writing with precision.
Is your child able to add, subtract and multiply amounts
of money, work with fractions, work with clocks and calendars,
work with maps and plans, and measure length, weight-mass and
volume? Schools may promote your son or daughter without
providing basic skills in reading, writing and
arithmetic.
Arithmetic
and Number Theory Skills
Algebra
Starter Lessons
Geometry
- maps plans trigonometry vectors
More
Algebra
70
Calculus Starter Lessons
Calculus Lessons Elsewhere:
-
How to Ace Calculus: Street Wise Guide - Mostly
Text.
-
Flash
Video for Calculus Phobics
They cover basic topics in ways likely to complement your
notes, your textbooks and site material. When Goldilocks
trespassed in the house of the three bears, she found three bowls
of porridge, two not to her liking, and one just right. Different
bears have different tastes. As invited guest here and elsewhere,
if one or more explanations is not to liking, try another. It may
be better or just right.
Unsolicited Advice
Learning to do and high marks if it comes to easy is often
deceptive - light rather than deep. For that reason, students
with learning difficulties determined not to let it get in their
way may go deeper and farther than those with none. High marks,
if the come easy, may be deceptive - provide a too light and not
a deep mastery. That could have been your problem in secondary
school, one that leads to comprehension shock or difficulties in
calculus and more generally in the first year of college. Bon
Appetite.
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