Systemic complexity disperses responsibility so no individual is originator of an action

Evidence

Who was responsible for Hiroshima? Appraising the behaviour of motorists clearly reveals a combination of complex mediate effects, the visible demands of circumstances, and personally attributable behaviour. A mechanically generated high speed, although responsible for everything, is not a matter of personal choice but ‘normal’ practice. On the other hand, unexpected reactions are attributed to the person because of the considerable demands made on concentration and skill. Acting according to the norm is usually inconspicuous and weak in expression, and therefore is not a suitable base from which love and trust can be generated. — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 193

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• XREF: The Hiroshima example prefigures how Darlington’s circle can enact appeasement without any single individual being the ‘originator’ — echoes Stevens’s own claim to have no opinion of his own.

Broader Connections

• Men cannot be collective authors of their actions because circumstances decentre them #corroborates (0.65)