ABSTRACT
Freedom in the sense of lack of compulsion, and not of indeterminism, being a condition of responsibility, those doctrines of Christianity and Hinduism which interfere with human freedom in this genuine sense are to that extent detrimental to the concept of responsibility. This chapter considers the question of collective responsibility, it may be interesting to compare the Christian and Hindu positions on responsibility in the case of sin that is unintentional. Consideration of the Christian view on the issue brings us to the examination of the distinction between formal and material sin. Sin may normally mean ‘“actual” sin in the “formal” mode’, i.e. an unmoral act wilfully committed. But sometimes this is also taken to include ‘perverse’ action resulting from ignorance which cannot really be subject to censure in the same sense as the former.
