Can we be ultimately responsible for our actions?

Can we be ultimately responsible for our actions?

Can we be ultimately responsible for our actions? In order to organize society and our own lives, responsibility for our actions must be taken. When we make mistakes, we’ve been taught to stick to our consequences. When we act with merit, it is ourselves who feel the pride on that action. Therefore, we are accepting the fact of being ultimate responsible for the way we act. But, is this the case?

This question is of general interest because it is an issue that needs to be, and has been, resolved in order to organize societies. For instance, if someone attempts against a common good, such as the right to private property, there must be a consequence so that peace is conserved in any given community. More specifically in this example, if there is theft, there has to be jail.

The problem is that there might be other reasons behind our actions that are not our responsibility. Sometimes we act with full consciousness, yes. However, there are many other external factors that push us to behave a certain way. For example, everyone can decide either to steal or not. For any person, stealing would be a bad action, therefore would make him or her responsible of theft. But, what if the person is stealing because he is desperate to feed his family? Would he be ultimately responsible of the action, even though he can’t control the fact that his family is starving?

This is why I would like to inquiry further into this question. Of course responsibility must be charged, but perhaps there is not such thing as an ultimate one. In order to judge others, and more importantly take accountability on our actions, we must solve this query. A true and rational answer must be found so we can make the right judgement.