For those of you who are waiting with baited breath for the
etymological word from Scotland (Chambers 1912), here it is:
Responsibility - liable to be called to account or render
satisfaction, answerable, capable of discharging duty
This implies not only an "ability to respond" but also an ability to
promise.
Promise - engagements to do or not ... which affords expectation
(from "a sending forward")
The implications beyond promising are that one is capable of
understanding the social framework and the implied promises therein.
There is no suggestion of one being responsible due to coercion.
The Scottish etymology also includes in responsibility "a state of
being". This, I maintain, cannot refer to compulsion or environments
which depend on force.
Michael McMaster : Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk
book cafe site : http://www.vision-nest.com/BTBookCafe
Intelligence is the underlying organisational principle
of the universe. Heraclitus
--Michael McMaster <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>