The moral failures of collective agents: responsibility voids and control gaps

Abstract Why do collective agents violate their obligations? They can but need not do so intentionally. Furthermore, if it happens accidentally, this can often be explained in terms of what I call ‘control gaps’, which are deficiencies in moral control. In other words, they are obstacles that make it more difficult for the collective agent and its members to fulfill corporate obligations. Hence, they increase the likelihood of corporate wrongdoings. And this in turn means that the risks they pose to others increase. In light of this, I argue that collective agents have a duty of control to prevent or close control gaps. To explore how they can do so, I discuss their relation to responsibility voids, which are situations where the responsibilities of the members are defeated. I argue that responsibility voids are often generated by control gaps. As such, they are a symptom of a disease. Against this background, I propose that information about responsibility voids can help diagnose control gaps and devise a cure.