W. D. Ross

We have several 'prima facie' duties; when they conflict, we must judge which prevails.

Analytic philosophy1877 · 1971 United KingdomThurso

Life

W. D. Ross (1877-1971), born in Thurso, Scotland, was a professor and Provost of Oriel College, Oxford, and a major translator of Aristotle. In The Right and the Good (1930) he argues that we have several 'prima facie' duties (keeping promises, not harming, gratitude…) that no single rule sums up, and that we must judge which prevails when they conflict.

Main works

1923

Aristotle

A general account of Aristotle's thought.

1930

The Right and the Good

Defends a plurality of prima facie duties known by intuition.

1939

Foundations of Ethics

Develops and defends the theory of The Right and the Good.

Positions

click a row to see the evidence

Where does knowledge come from?Source of knowledge

Empiricism (from experience)Rationalism (from reason)

Interpretation

We know basic duties directly by reflection, as self-evident, not by experience alone.

Ross, The Right and the Good (1930)

What makes an action good?Basis of morality

Duty (deontology)Consequences (consequentialism)Character (virtue ethics)Other (divine law, relationships, value creation…)

We have several irreducible duties (keeping promises, gratitude, justice, beneficence...), not just one aim like happiness.

Ross, The Right and the Good (1930)

Do good and evil exist objectively?Status of morality

Anti-realism (morality is human-made)Moral realism (objective moral truths)

Stated

Moral truths are objective and as real as mathematical ones.

Ross, The Right and the Good (1930)

Argument

Several prima facie duties, and judgement to decideW. D. Ross · 1930 · debate over 3 levels

What makes something right?Duty 3