The Principle of Responsive Adjustment in Corporate Moral Responsibility: The Crash on Mount Erebus

Abstract

The tragic crash of Air New Zealand flight TE-901 into Mt. Erebus, Antarctica provides a fascinating case for the exploration of the notion of corporate moral responsibility. A principle of accountability that has Aristotelian roots and is significantly different from the usual strict intentional action principles is examined and defined. That principle maintains that a person can be held morally accountable for previous non-intentional behavior that had harmful effects if the person does not subsequently take corrective measures to adjust their behavior so as not to produce repetitions. This principle is then applied to the Mt. Erebus disaster.