THE DEFEASIBLE STRUCTURE OF ASCRIPTIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY.

Normally, we can hold persons responsible for their actions without giving explicit reasons for doing so, i.e. our ascriptions of responsibility are justified by default. However, an ascription of responsibility can be challenged under specific conditions, by adducing reasons that excuse or exempt a person from responsibility. The aim of the paper is to show how this "default-and-challenge" structure helps to clarify the concept of responsibility. In particular, the distinction between two kinds of challenges will provide a basis for the distinction between two kinds of responsibility-ascriptions, namely the ascription of accountability and the ascription of praise- or blameworthiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]