“This is your fault“, is a harder thing to believe without free will.
No free will means no choice in the matter.
Suddenly, the ability to attribute clear blame disappears.
Blame becomes muddy without free will…
Instead of one cause, there’s an infinite succession.
Instead of being at fault, you’re just another cog in the machine spinning from forces started elsewhere.
Accountability, on the other hand is specific.
Accountability pre-defines who’s responsible–irrelevant of who causes misstep.
If my dog does his business on the footpath, while it may not be my choice, it’s still my responsibility.
I am accountable.
And yet, some would say that without belief in free will, morality will degrade.
That belief in our influence over ourselves is as important to our ethics as some might claim of religion.
Is a world without blame a world without moral responsibility?
Is free will a necessary fantasy?
Do we need it to maintain social order, or is accountability enough?