Prima Facie Duties
Part of the Moral Realism of
W. D. Ross
was the claim that we begin moral assessment with ordinary, or
prima facie, duties but are often required to
exercise a higher order moral judgement informed by what he called moral intuition.
The prima facie duties are thought to include:
- Fidelity - promise keeping
- Reparation - making up for previous injuries
- Gratitude - being thankful for what one receives
- Beneficence - seeking to do good whenever possible
- Non-Maleficence - avoiding harm whenever possible
- Justice - promoting equality and fairness
- Intelligence - promoting knowledge and the life of the mind
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