Prima\u00a0facie\u00a0means\u00a0\u201cat\u00a0first\u00a0glance\u201d<\/p>\n
This\u00a0system,\u00a0an\u00a0outgrowth\u00a0of virtue ethics, originated in the twentieth century with applied ethicist William\u00a0Ross.<\/p>\n
It views each human being as a participant in a social contract, from which\u00a0we derive certain legal rights and moral benefits, and to which we owe certain\u00a0legal duties and moral obligations.<\/p>\n
In civilized countries, citizens enjoy a host of\u00a0rights and benefits, but at the same time also have duties and obligations \u2013 e.g.,\u00a0toward our spouses, children, friends, neighbors, colleagues, associates, employers, employees, and so forth, not to mention jury duty.<\/p>\n
Now the question arises: What happens when two or more duties come into\u00a0conflict, such that honoring one means dishonoring the other, and vice versa?<\/p>\n
For\u00a0instance, suppose I have promised to meet an associate for lunch who wants to\u00a0discuss a business proposal. Now suppose I\u2019m on my way to lunch but am suddenly called to school to collect my child, who has sprained his ankle during gym\u00a0class.\u00a0Prima\u00a0facie duties would support the obvious answer, that my duty toward\u00a0my child in an emergency takes priority over my duty to my associate at a business meeting. It\u2019s too late to \u201creschedule\u201d the sports injury; but we can surely\u00a0reschedule the meeting.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not always so easy to prioritize one\u2019s duties, however.<\/p>\n
Jean-Paul Sartre\u00a0wrote about an example involving one of his students, who had to choose between joining the French Resistance to fight the Nazis and staying at home to look\u00a0after his elderly mother.<\/p>\n
There is no clear way to prioritize such conflicting duties.\u00a0And Sartre\u2019s humanistic ethics didn\u2019t help much either.<\/p>\n
Robin Hood\u2019s case is similarly complicated. We gather that Robin is an upstanding citizen, who embraces the twin values of individual excellence (in his\u00a0case, at archery) and social cooperativeness (his men are merry together, not in\u00a0conflict with one another). We can suppose that his duties to fight against tyranny\u00a0and for justice take precedence over his duties to be an obedient subject and raise\u00a0a family with Maid Marion.<\/p>\n
If he prevails in his fight, he may also be able to enjoy\u00a0a normal life afterward.<\/p>\n
But note that\u00a0prima\u00a0facie duties do not compel everyone\u00a0to choose as Robin: some join him in the forest, while others stay at home and\u00a0honor prior commitments.<\/p>\n
Some (duties) rest on the mere fact that there are other beings in the world\u00a0whose condition we can make better.
\n\u2013 WILLIAM ROSS<\/p>\n
The Big Questions: How Philosophy Can Change Your Life
\nLou Marinoff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prima\u00a0facie\u00a0means\u00a0\u201cat\u00a0first\u00a0glance\u201d This\u00a0system,\u00a0an\u00a0outgrowth\u00a0of virtue ethics, originated in the twentieth century with applied ethicist William\u00a0Ross. It views each human being as a participant in a social contract, from which\u00a0we derive certain legal rights and moral benefits, and to which we owe certain\u00a0legal duties and moral obligations. In…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg",900,609,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg",900,609,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=300%2C203&ssl=1",300,203,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=570%2C570&ssl=1",570,570,true],"portfolio-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=600%2C609&ssl=1",600,609,true],"portfolio-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1",800,600,true],"menu-featured-post":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=345%2C198&ssl=1",345,198,true],"qode-carousel_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=400%2C260&ssl=1",400,260,true],"portfolio_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=500%2C380&ssl=1",500,380,true],"portfolio_masonry_regular":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1",500,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_wide":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=900%2C500&ssl=1",900,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_tall":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=500%2C609&ssl=1",500,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_with_space":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=700%2C474&ssl=1",700,474,true],"latest_post_boxes":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=539%2C303&ssl=1",539,303,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/post-1449.jpg?resize=100%2C100&ssl=1",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Philosophy<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Prima\u00a0facie\u00a0means\u00a0\u201cat\u00a0first\u00a0glance\u201d This\u00a0system,\u00a0an\u00a0outgrowth\u00a0of virtue ethics, originated in the twentieth century with applied ethicist William\u00a0Ross. It views each human being as a participant in a social contract, from which\u00a0we derive certain legal rights and moral benefits, and to which we owe certain\u00a0legal duties and moral obligations. 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