Omissions: Agency, Metaphysics, and Responsibility

Philosophical theories of agency and responsibility have focused primarily on actions and activities. But, besides acting, we often omit to do or refrain from doing certain things. Omitting or refraining, like acting, can have consequences, good and bad. And we can be praiseworthy or blameworthy for omitting or refraining. However, omitting and refraining are not simply special cases of action; they require their own distinctive treatment. In Omissions, Randolph Clarke offers the first comprehensive account of these phenomena, addressing three main questions: What is an omission? What is it to intentionally not do a certain thing? And what does it take to be morally responsible for omitting or refraining? Clarke examines the connection between negligence and omission, the distinction between doing and allowing, and the distinction in law between act and omission. With its attention to a previously neglected topic, Omissions broadens our understanding of human agency.

About the Author :
Randolph Clarke is Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is the author of Libertarian Accounts of Free Will (OUP 2003) and numerous articles on agency, free will, and moral responsibility.

Review :
"This is a rich, dense, well-written, and thought-provoking book on a very important topic that has not received the kind of systematic attention that it deserves... It is a testament to Clarke's versatility and virtuosity that he is able to integrate discussion of these matters into a largely seamless and philosophically rewarding whole... Combining, as it does, clever moves with illuminating cases, and all without a hint of arrogance or posturing, the book is a rewarding read and a very valuable contribution to the literature on the nature of, and moral and legal responsibility for, omissions and their consequences." -Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online "This book is a careful study of the nature of omissions, or failures to act. It marks a clear advance in the philosophy of action, a field that has focused much more energy on understanding the nature of 'positive' actions than on understanding the nature of omissions, despite the ubiquity of omissions and their moral and legal importance. This is an excellent work, filled throughout with insight about the nature of omission."--Gideon Yaffe, Professor of Law and Philosophy, Yale University "This is the first comprehensive study of an important and puzzling topic: the topic of omissions, ranging from the metaphysics to issues concerning our moral responsibility for omissions. It develops an original view of omissions, and it does so on the basis of powerful and carefully articulated arguments."--Carolina Sartorio, Associate Professor of Philosophy, The University of Arizona "I highly recommend Omissions to any who work on questions of responsibility, negligence, or philosophy of action or law more generally. Clarke's metaphysically grounded approach offers both a view worthy of consideration and a great example of how our metaphysics can influence our other views." -- Mind