Why is it that so much rhetoric is focused on personal responsibility? People blame the poor for their poverty, they assert that people deserve the consequences of speaking out in defense of their unpopular ideas, and governments avoid intervening in situations on the grounds that people can take care of themselves.
What makes this rhetoric so absurd is it fails to take into account the obvious reality that there are tangible limits to personal responsibility. While the law might recognise this to a certain extent, be it in the insanity defense of criminals or the truth defense against libel, many in society don't seem to accept the idea in their perspectives on public policy.
Of course, few will assert the idea of limitless accountability up front, and where they do defend it, it's by asserting that aspects of context are 
insignificant. Usually, the assumption of accountability often presents itself within faux solutions that justify doing little or nothing.
Take education, for instance. A couple of weeks ago when I took part in a debate about education, there was a comment suggesting that getting parents involved in the education of their kids is the solution to low test scores. Of course, what such an assertion fails to recognise is this solution favours some children over others (those with parents who work fewer hours, earn more money, and have more expertise) while also distracting from problems common to all students, like boredom, stress, sleep, social problems, and psychological immaturity.
Another approach is to assume people can be held more responsible when they hold positions of higher authority. This is often the basis for debate around regulation and making authorities more accountable to society. People often assert that the media are responsible for playing a watchdog role, or that McDonald's is evil on the basis that they do socially irresponsible things in their pursuit of profits.
This kind of thinking also tends to lead to favouring an increase in power for specific individuals, so long as we install plenty of accountability mechanisms. Unfortunately, this reductionist thinking doesn't account for the context and combination of influences in decisions, while also failing to recognise passing blame does nothing to fix a problem. We need to find ways of avoiding a problem in the first place.
In the pursuit of holding individuals accountable, we need to recognise there are limits of psychological, economic, and political nature. If we renounce limitations or deny their significance, we will repeatedly witness decision-making errors and maintain problems without solutions. But if we recognise these limitations, then perhaps we have the opportunity to either redesign institutions and society in ways that will minimize their interference, or at least step back and hold the right people responsible.
Article comments
1 - JP
Thanks for writing this..I've tried, less successfully, to put my thoughts on this into words. PR is, amusingly, a PR tactic on the right trying to make people feel guilty for needing help, or think that there is something wrong with the idea of community. I'm sick of people not figuring that out.
2 - Jonathan Scanlan
Thanks JP, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
3 - RedTard
Although I completely disagree with your outlook this was a well written and logically presented article. This article reaches into a philosophical area which touches the core of what separates people on the political spectrum. I like anything that gives me insight into how you guys think and really wish I could really view the world your way (just for a day of course) This article gets me a little bit closer.
I'll still take my illusion of freedom and self determination with the corresponding responsibility over your product of societal input worldview any day. Determinism seems very bleak and depressing to me.
Of course a hybrid philosophy where everything bad that happens is the product of poor circumstances and everything good is the fruit of hard work, willpower and personal determination just might be the ticket. Although logical types will see the glaring inconsistencies, alot of assholes I know swear by it.
4 - Bliffle
The human is a curious critter. Weak of claw and tooth, no protective fur, not good at climbing trees, etc., we are hopelessly dependent on each other for teamwork and cooperation. Yet, given the kind of ego we must have to survive against the violence that nature has in store for such weak creatures, we come to exaggerate our independence. Yet when we examine the lives of people truly cast upon their own devices, whether marooned on a remote island or choosing to hide in the woods and mountains to avoid police, a pathetic image arises.
5 - Tyedyesky420
maybe its the fact that the goverment takes so much and gives back so little what has ur gov dont for u? i cant name 1 thing the gov does 4 me but yet i pay property tax gas tax income tax ,fed, state, county, sales tax and the list of taxes go on and on, oh yah the started an illegal war in my name to make us safer. do you feel safer.???
6 - SFC SKI
Until I have more coffee and reread this, I won't offer any counterarguments, but I will admit that it does present your argument pretty clearly and it is thought provoking.
7 - Bliffle
"maybe its the fact that the goverment takes so much and gives back so little what has ur gov dont for u?"
Since you asked:
-I was born in a city hospital
-the county keeps a record of my birth for ID purposes
-the city provided schools wherein I learned to read, write and do arithmetic, all of which enriched my life
-government provided civil structure wherein my parents could have a home and family with legal and physical security.
-when I was 18 I was able to attend a state university based on Jeffersons land grant federal system
Etc., etc., etc.
Do you retract your foolish question?
8 - Tyedyesky420
No i don't. I also was born in a city hospital and have the bills to prove it. As to the records of your birth the only ones that need those are the goverment. Now the school part I will agree with you on. And I 'm also glad you were lucky enough to get a grant. But everyone is not so fortunate as they should be with the amount of money taken from each individual every year. As to the legal and physical security, well just ask my grand parents, who are having their home, that my grandfather built and has lived in for who knows how long, taken away by eminent domain just so they can widen the street and build a subdivsion. that's security for you. My grand parents also have a cabin that they vacation at and cant aford to pay the property taxes on anymore. So they must sell that. Also ask my father that was traumatised from the Vietnam war. He woke us up every night screaming in horror. He also has nerve damage from that war. And the gov doesn't do a thing for him. As for the legal security just ask me. When I was thirteen years old, I was accused by a girl ,because I didn't share her feelings of mutual attraction, of hitting her. The case went to court and I was found guilty of an assult I didn't commit. My question is far from foolish. Im sure if you had even one of these thing happen to you your tune would change. So before you go around judging people get all the information.
9 - Jonathan Scanlan
It's interesting how skeptical people are of this idea. I propposed this to a few friends, and even they will conceed my arguments but find it a relatively uncomfortable proposition.
Yet, I have not seen evidence to the contrary.
If someone is upto writing a rebuttal, I'd love to read it.