Responsibility and Blame

We are heavily into blame as a species, I think. Accountability is a favorite buzzword, and whenever something bad happens (if we can) we look for someone, or some party, to hold accountable. Even if the problem is largely the result of forces outside our control, there will be someone looking for why more preparation for forces outside our control weren't taken, and whose fault it was.

However, for as dearly as we cling to blame, how much thought is actually given to what constitutes responsibility, and what has to happen before a person can really be blamed for something?

In chapter 1 I talk about Karma. In the Universe, there are two kinds of actions: acts of will, and acts of karma. In terms of cause and effect, acts of will are causes that are not effects, but flow from intent, while Karma is all action which is effect. And from this perspective, it seems only reasonable to assign responsibility solely to those who brought about the blameworthy result by an act of will.

That is, they took the action by conscious choice, and with the intention of the result for which they are blamed.

A good example is a car accident. If you turned into oncoming traffic intending to cause a collision, it's no accident, and you're to blame. If it was not intended, then it was accidental, and you are not to blame.

This is simple. However, the rest of it is not. For example, what about someone who loses their head in the heat of an argument, and says something hurtful they later regret? Is it willful (that is, a product of conscious choice with the intent of being hurtful), or is it karmic (an unintended reaction to anger)? Does a person choose to lose their cool? Or what about a person who commits a crime, such as assault? He hits another person. Later, he considers his actions and feels regret, however, he cannot change the past. Is he to be blamed for the crime? Think about it. He acted willfully in the past, but now his will is to erase the wrongdoing. Is it not reasonable to say the act of the past is against his will of the present? If so, he cannot be blamed.

These are the kinds of questions that, while not always easily or unequivocally answerable, should be taken into consideration by everyone before passing judgment. We are quick to blame, but blame often leads to harm and suffering, and they do not often lead to an improvement in the human condition.

Jim