Many Worlds and Moral Responsibility

Abstract

Moral responsibility is integral to most forms of theism. Yet its coherence as a concept is contingent upon the fulfilment of certain metaphysical conditions. In this paper I argue that (1) the continued existence of the self, and (2) freedom of will and action, are necessary conditions for moral responsibility, particularly within a theistic context. I then argue that the Everett Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (or, the Many Worlds Interpretation) throws these assumptions into question in new and interesting ways.