Moral responsibility and human dignity in focus at book launch
What happens when following the rules is not enough? On September 15, the Stockholm School of Economics hosted the launch of Louise Bringselius’ new book Moraliskt ansvar: Att vara medmänniska, bringing together researchers and practitioners for a conversation about human dignity, judgment, and responsibility in an age increasingly shaped by systems, measurement, digitalization, and AI.
The evening opened with remarks by Tobias Nielsén, CEO of Volante Publishing, followed by a presentation from Louise Bringselius on the central ideas of her new book and why questions of moral responsibility have become increasingly urgent.
When systems meet human judgment
At the heart of Moraliskt ansvar is the balance between two forms of responsibility: responsibility toward systems and responsibility toward other people.
Systems, rules, guidelines, performance measures, and professional roles provide order and consistency. The same is true of digital systems and artificial intelligence. But Bringselius argues that systems cannot remove the need for human judgment. When rules are applied mechanically, individual circumstances and human dignity risk being overlooked.
Drawing on moral philosophy, legal philosophy, organization theory, and sociology, the book examines what happens when following established rules is not enough – or when doing so produces unreasonable or inhumane consequences.
Creating space for reflection
Bringselius’ presentation was followed by a panel discussion with sociologist and researcher Roland Paulsen and Johan Hirschfeldt, former Chancellor of Justice and President of the Svea Court of Appeal.
Together, they discussed the relationship between law, rules, professional judgment, and moral responsibility, including the importance of common systems and the risks that arise when individuals stop considering themselves responsible for how those systems affect others.
The conversation also addressed the role of organizations. Moral responsibility is not only a matter of individual judgment; it also depends on workplaces creating room for reflection, difficult conversations, and learning from mistakes.
The evening concluded with informal conversations among the guests, continuing a question at the heart of the book: how can we preserve human judgment and responsibility in a society increasingly shaped by rules, measurement, digitalization, and artificial intelligence?
Contact
Research Fellow at the Stockholm School of Economics & Associate Professor of Organization and Management at Lund University
Email: louise@bringselius.se
Phone: +46 70-833 00 30
