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I think in philosophy there's something to be said for the difference between action and lack of action when it comes to culpability. Is a surgeon responsible f

I think in philosophy there's something to be said for the difference between action and lack of action when it comes to culpability. Is a surgeon responsible for not being good enough to save a persons life? No, I don't think so. Is a surgeon responsible for not being sober for a planned surgery? In our society, yes. I think a lot of responsibility is determined by mens rea, and when you run a health insurance company you have good numbers for exactly how many lives you're going to effect when denying coverage.

nickff 2y ago
You think this CEO had more 'mens rea' than a city police chief (or the other examples I listed)? The police chief is literally responsible for purchasing guns, distributing them to officers, and telling the latter to use the former to coerce people!
- deleted 2y ago
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refulgentis 2y ago
if you're saying they actively decide denial rates at management level to hit profit targets, I don't buy it. He has much closer culpability to the CEO of the company that sells me cigarettes than the guy who murdered my grandma. The world is a fallen place. I thought the example up thread re: not being an animal trapper was a Jonathan Swift-esque send up of the whole idea though, so I might be missing a screw or two.
- motorest 2y ago
  > if you're saying they actively decide denial rates at management level to hit profit targets, I don't buy it. To believe in that, first you need to believe that somehow any executive of a company has no control over the company, does not have a duty to make certain things are done a certain way, nor is accountable for how the company is managed.
  - refulgentis 2y ago
    > To believe in that, first you need to believe... Nah, that's not true.