Are you the cause or the fault
I have not read the technical definitions as they appear in any dictionary but I’d like to define these terms as I understand them to relate to unwanted events.
Cause: the direct act responsible for the occurrence of the event at the immediate time. The person who causes the event is the one that initiated the action. It can be the person that stepped on the gas pedal, fired the gun, or turned on the light. The actor who may be unaware of the outcome.
Fault: the blame. The person who is at fault is the one who is responsible for the outcome over an infinite period of time and always; the actor who sought/planned/was aware of the outcome.
Do any of these have any meaning or importance in general? I’m not really sure to be honest. However, this is something I’ve been thinking about for a long while. The question that gave rise to this is: can an individual be the cause of some negative outcome without being blamed or at fault?
Naturally, I take this to an obvious extreme. (Extremes illustrate situations so well). Imagine a stage show that requires the use of a gun. The prop master loads the gun with a real bullet because he doesn’t like Actor A. The Actor B fires uses the gun on stage, killing the Actor A. Was it Actor B’s fault? Can Actor B be held responsible? Can Actor B be punished? Should Actor B be punished?
It may be an obvious question and I’m probably complicating things unnecessarily. It leads into a discussion on personal responsibility and how much of it is expected from each of us. I guess I just haven’t found a value on that question yet.