Question

What does it mean to be 'responsible' for your actions? Does personal responsibility require that you could have done otherwise? Has there ever been a time in your life when you were held responsible for an action but you felt as if you did not have a choice in the matter? If not, can you imagine a scenario in which a person should be held responsible for an action even though they didn't have a choice to do otherwise? Discuss fully using an example of your choice.

Answer 1

Personal responsibility indeed requires that you could have done otherwise. A person is solely responsible for his actions. For instance, teen pregnancy and early child-rearing is indeed a personal responsibility. Teen-aged girls have unprotected sex and then blame other sources for their actions. Teen-age pregnancy is becoming a growing cause of concern with time. Teen-aged girls blame their boyfriends for luringthem into having sex with them. they quote reasons like, 'if I did not have sex with him, he would leave me'. An individual must be responsible for his/her own actions. Teen-aged girls must have protected sex, if they want to, which I reckon they must not. It's too early for their bodily functions. However, they must take precautions with condoms or birth control pills. They must be responsible with their actions. Irrespective of whatever the situation is in life, a person is definitely solely responsible for his/her actions,