Sir David Ross's Pluralistic Theory of Duty: Prima Facie Duty Explained

[UrbanXrisis]

In Sir David Ross's Pluralistic Theory Of Duty, he talks about prima facie duty. How is prima facie duty different from just duty? I'm not sure I quite understand what prima facie duty is. Is it just a duty that stands above all other duties?

 

[NickJ]

A non-prima facie duty is a duty that one has no matter what.

A prima facie duty is a duty that one has unless and until it gets "over-ridden" by some other duty. Prima facie duties are not absolute: they are defeasible.

Example: We have a prima facie duty to not lie. But suppose we are housing a Jewish family in our secret attic and the Gestapo knocks on our door, asking whether we know the location of any Jews. We have a prima facie duty to tell the truth and not lie. But we also have a prima facie duty to protect innocent people from harm if there is no significant cost to ourselves. So our two prima facie duties are in conflict with each other. Maybe you think the duty to protect is more important, in this case, than the duty to not lie. Then the duty to not lie gets "over-ridden" (or "trumped" -- think of playing cards) by the duty to protect.

An analogy: If we're playing poker, and I lay down two pairs, to your one pair, I have a prima facie winning hand. But if someone else then lays down a full house, my prima facie winning hand gets "trumped" and is not a winning hand anymore. But if no one else had laid down a better hand, my prima facie winning hand would have been the actual winning hand.

To sum up: Prima facie duties are not absolute -- they can be over-ridden. They are "apparent" duties (prima facie = "on the face of it").

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

Sir David Ross's Pluralistic Theory of Duty is a prominent ethical theory in the field of philosophy. This theory suggests that there are multiple moral obligations or duties that individuals have, and these duties can sometimes conflict with each other. One of the key concepts in this theory is the idea of prima facie duty.

Prima facie duty, as explained by Sir David Ross, refers to a duty that is binding unless it conflicts with a stronger duty. In other words, it is a provisional duty that can be overridden by a more important duty in a particular situation. This is different from the concept of just duty, which refers to a duty that is always binding and cannot be overridden by other duties.

To better understand this concept, consider the following example: Let's say a doctor has a prima facie duty to treat their patients with care and compassion. However, if a patient comes in with a contagious disease, the doctor's prima facie duty to protect the health of their other patients may override their duty to treat the sick patient with care and compassion.

In this way, prima facie duty is not just one duty that stands above all others, but rather a set of duties that are all important but can be outweighed by stronger duties in certain situations. It allows for a more nuanced and flexible approach to ethical decision-making.

Overall, Sir David Ross's Pluralistic Theory of Duty and the concept of prima facie duty offer a complex and comprehensive understanding of moral obligations and how they may interact with each other. It is important for individuals to carefully consider their various duties and prioritize them in different situations, in order to make ethical and responsible choices.

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

Sir David Ross's Pluralistic Theory of Duty is a well-known ethical framework that proposes that there are multiple moral duties that individuals have, and these duties can sometimes conflict with each other. In this theory, Ross introduces the concept of prima facie duty, which is a duty that is binding unless it conflicts with a more important duty.

Prima facie duty is different from just duty in that it is not an absolute duty that must always be followed, regardless of any other factors. Instead, it is a conditional duty that is dependent on the specific situation and can be overridden by a more important duty. For example, a doctor may have a prima facie duty to provide care for their patients, but if there is a more pressing duty to save someone's life in an emergency situation, that duty would take precedence.

Prima facie duty is not necessarily a duty that stands above all other duties, but rather a duty that is considered to be valid and important unless there is a conflicting duty that is deemed to be more important. This allows for flexibility and consideration of different moral obligations in different situations.

In summary, prima facie duty is a concept within Sir David Ross's Pluralistic Theory of Duty that recognizes the complexity and potential conflicts of moral duties, and allows for a more nuanced approach to ethical decision-making.