How Much Can We Ask of Collective Agents?. Issue 7 (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Collins, Stephanie
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of philosophy. Volume 50:Issue 7(2020)
• Page Start: 815
• Page End: 831
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Collective agency, -- collective obligation, -- overdemandingness, -- ought implies can; Philosophy -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1017/can.2020.42
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-5091

Abstract

Abstract: Are obligations of collective agents—such as states, businesses, and non-profits—ever overdemanding? I argue they are not. I consider two seemingly attractive routes to collective overdemandingness: that an obligation is overdemanding on a collective just if the performance would be overdemanding for members; and that an obligation is overdemanding on a collective just if the performance would frustrate the collective's permissible deep preferences. I reject these. Instead, collective overdemandingness complaints should be reinterpreted as complaints about inability or third-party costs. These are not the same as overdemandingness. Accordingly, we can ask an awful lot of collective agents.