Philosophy
Moral Luck and the Control Principle
Quick fact
Thomas Nagel, who coined the term 'moral luck' in 1979, argued that if we take the control principle seriously, moral luck is paradoxical: we judge people for things they couldn't control.
Why this is interesting
Imagine two reckless drivers: one swerves and hits no one, the other kills a pedestrian. Most people judge the second driver more harshly, but is that fair? Both had the same intention and same lack of care—only luck differed.