Prima Facie Duty: William David Ross' Moral Philosophy Flashcards
The only two moral properties
Rightness and Goodness
According to Ross rightness and goodness are…
Indefinable, meaning they are irreducible objective qualities. cannot be defined
how can we make sense of what rightness and goodness are
we can make sense of what rightness and goodness are through their physical manifestation.
what does rightness and goodness belong to?
rightness belongs to an act whereas goodness belongs to a motive
how do we determine the rightness of an act and the goodness of its motive
by determining the non-moral properties or circumstances that surround the act itself
give an example of determining the rightness of an act and the goodness of its motive
*answer
what did Ross argue when he rejected G.E Moore’s consequentialist ethics?
he argued instead that maximizing the good is only one of the several prima facie duties which guide the individual in determining what he ought to do in a given situation
what does prima facie refer to in Ross’s moral philosophy?
prima facie duty refers to a conditional duty, while actual duty refers to a unconditional duty
how do we resolve when conflict of duties arise?
when conflict arises, then we ought to do that which is more of a duty or act in accordance with the prima facie duty which has a greater balance of rightness over wrongness.
how do we know that one is more of a duty than the other?
1.) Only one of the prima facie duties is our actual duty
2.)self-evident, using our intuition
prima duty that is judged to be more of a duty is the most stringent duty appears to be one’s actual duty
what are the seven basic types of prima facie duties?
duty of fidelity
duty of reparation
duty of gratitude
duty of justice
duty of beneficence
duty of self-improvement
duty of non-maleficence
