ABSTRACT
The concept of moral agency is the linchpin of Western ethics because only moral agents are capable of moral significant conduct. The duty to respect the autonomy of other moral agents is a bedrock principle that lies behind much of what we believe about the value of life and freedom and the immorality of coercion and oppression. This chapter carefully develops a theory of agency that can undergird autonomy principles that can adequate to dealing with real dilemmas. In doing so, it reconceives the concept of responsibility in a way that is much more practical than the traditional one. It discusses habit and emotion, coercion, paternalism, imposing values on others, joint autonomy, informed consent, and preventing others from doing harm. It concludes with a novel analysis of the famous trolley car dilemmas.
