Moral Luck

Abstract

This chapter analyses how a fear of bad moral luck can create hesitation about allowing children to engage in risky play. Moral luck is a paradoxical concept. On the one hand, it seems reasonable that moral praise and criticism should be directed at what people have control over. On the other hand, moral judgements tend to be coloured by the outcome, even though factors beyond the agent’s control have played a crucial role. Teachers and other decision-makers can hold back and choose a cautious approach, because they are afraid of being held responsible for harm even in situations where the risk they have allowed children to take is reasonable. Leaders of schools and kindergartens can alleviate the fear by providing moral protection to teachers and other employees in such circumstances.