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Collective Harm and Moral Reasons for Individual Action: A Comprehensive Theory

Objective

In collective harm situations, many individual acts together bring about a harmful outcome, but no individual act seems to make any significant difference. Examples include greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change, meat consumption contributing to animal suffering, and fast fashion purchases contributing to harmful labor practices. In this type of situation, although it seems the outcome will be no more or less severe give or take any one act, we think these harmful outcomes give each individual moral reason to refrain from acts such as going for a pleasure drive in a gas-guzzling car or buying a steak for dinner. If no individual act makes a morally relevant difference, however, it is unclear why we have moral reason to refrain. This is the so-called problem of collective harm, which has come to be one of the most important issues in contemporary ethics. Solving this problem means identifying a strong moral reason for an individual not to act in collective harm situations, one that has to do with the harmful outcome of concern. The central aim of this project is to provide a comprehensive theory of moral reasons for individual action in collective harm situations based on three research objectives: 1) to determine which situations raise the problem of collective harm and what kind of moral reasons are relevant in response to it, 2) to propose an original, pluralist account of moral reasons for individual action in collective harm situations, and 3) to demonstrate the broader normative implications of the idea that there are moral reasons for individual action in collective harm situations by showing how this idea applies in the moral evaluation of individual wrongful acts.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 260 347,92
Address
WOODHOUSE LANE
LS2 9JT Leeds
United Kingdom

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Region
Yorkshire and the Humber West Yorkshire Leeds
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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