Prima Facie Duty: On William David Ross’s Moral Philosophy
As a moral realist, William David Ross argues that there are objective moral truths, that
is, objective moral truths exist in reality. However, Ross claims that something is good
only if that thing is really good. Hence, the concept of right and good play an important
role in Ross’s moral philosophy. As a matter of fact, for Ross, rightness and goodness are
the only two moral properties.
It is important to note that for Ross, rightness and goodness are indefinable, that is,
they are irreducible objective qualities. Thus, as they are in themselves, rightness and
goodness cannot be defined. However, as Ross would have us believe, we can make
sense of what rightness and goodness are through their physical manifestation.
Consider, for example, the following statement: “I have a good dinner”. Here, we
understand the word “good” only in reference to its physical manifestation, that is, the
dinner is satisfying. But as it is in itself, Ross argues that we cannot tell what really is
goodness.
What the above contention implies is that, for Ross, there is no such thing as “absolute
goodness”. Goodness, therefore, depends on a specific situation. For example, when we
say “Divorce is good”, then this “good” cannot be absolute. In other words, divorce
might be good to some people but bad to others.
Now, Ross contends that “rightness” belongs to an act, while “goodness” belongs to a
motive. Thus, rightness is not identical with the act per se, just as goodness in not
identical with motive.
But how do we know the rightness of an act and the goodness of its motive?
According to Ross, in order for us to know the rightness of an act and the goodness of
its motive, we need to determine the non-moral properties or circumstances that
surround the act itself. Let us consider, for example, a physician administering a
medicine to a patient. Before we can know that the physician’s act of administering a
medicine to a patient is good or not, we need to know: a) what the medicine is and b)
why the physician is administering the medicine. If the physician is administering the
right medicine in order to cure the patient, and she is doing it out of duty, then we can
say that the physician’s act of administering the medicine is “right” and that her motive
is “good”.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jeffocs. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
