Moral Luck and the Professions

Abstract

This paper examines the phenomenon of moral luck and how it can effect professional practice. Using both Thomas Nagel's and Ber nard William's exposition on moral luck, this paper first demonstrates the close relationship between moral luck and epistemic luck. Then, drawing on some of the lessons one might learn from the epistemologist's treat ment of epistemic luck, particularly in the debate between internalists and externalists in epistemology, strategies are developed that profes sionals and professional organizations might use to avoid and/or mitigate the problem moral luck presents to professional practice. Examples from various professions?the military, engineering, medicine, journalism, business?are use to illustrate both the problem of moral luck and the strategies useful in avoiding it.