Connective Responsibility

Words: 992
Pages: 4

Firstly, what is responsibility? Responsibility's definition includes being in a state of blame or a position of control over something. However, this essay extends this definition much further to include several forms of responsibility. Connective responsibility describes a link between two parties which forms a relationship, and this term includes direct legal responsibility and symbolic relationships, such as TNCs and sweatshops. In contrast, compassionate responsibility requires no direct link between parties and is based on knowledge and solidarity. Political responsibility does not refer to direct blame in the tradition sense, but the term questions normal yet immoral conditions which collective actions cause. Consequently, large numbers …show more content…
To establish blame or legal responsibility, a cause and effect scenario must be proved, so flows across both space and time become paramount. When a wrong has been committed, we often seek someone to blame. However, tracing flows of direct responsibility over time can become very difficult, so symbolism becomes a means of establishing blame. Such a tactic has been levied against trans national corporations by sweatshop campaigners who cannot establish who is directly responsible for poor working conditions. Closer to home, politicians are often victims of such a phenomenon after adverse events even if they have no personal control over such …show more content…
This is the meaning of compassionate responsibility. For instance, the lack of a direct proximate connection does not prevent charities attempting to generate sympathy and therefore donations from the public following distressing circumstances. Nevertheless, the lack of proximity in both distance and time allows individuals to absolve themselves of responsibility. For instance, knowledge of the Atlantic slave trade often generates distress, empathy and anger, but there are also demands for reparations from the slaves descendents.
However, the passage of time means tracing those directly responsible and establishing continuing harm is impossible. Consequently, such demands are met with dismissal both generally and from any potential defendant. Compassionate responsibility can transcend temporal and spatial distances often generating strong feelings, but such feelings do not guarantee any action is taken to address