Moral Obligation: Volume 27, Part 2

The notion of obligation occupies a central place in morality. The essays in this volume address this issue.

Ellen Frankel Paul (Edited by), Fred D. Miller, Jr (Edited by), Jeffrey Paul (Edited by)

9780521168960, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 16 July 2010

345 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.49 kg

The notion of obligation of what an agent owes to himself, to others, or to society generally occupies a central place in morality. But what are the sources of our moral obligations and what are their limits? To what extent do obligations vary in their stringency and severity, and does it make sense to talk about imperfect obligations, that is, obligations that leave the individual with a broad range of freedom to determine how and when to fulfil them? The twelve essays in this volume address these and other questions and explore related issues. Some of them discuss broad theoretical questions, some essays look at moral reasons for action. Others discuss specific moral obligations or the tensions that may exist between our obligations and our other concerns.

1. Reflection and morality Charles Larmore
2. Untying a knot from the inside out: reflections on the 'paradox' of supererogation Terry Horgan and Mark Timmons
3. Subjective rightness Holly M. Smith
4. Underivative duty: Prichard on moral obligation Thomas Hurka
5. 'But it would be wrong' Stephen Darwall
6. Moral obligation, blame, and self governance John Skorupski
7. Making room for options: moral reasons, imperfect duties, and choice Patricia Greenspan
8. The obligation to be virtuous: Kant's conception of the Tugendverpflichtung Paul Guyer
9. A conceptual and (preliminary) normative explanation of waste Andrew Jason Cohen
10. The duty to seek peace Bernard R. Boxhill
11. Goals, luck, and moral obligation R. G. Frey
12. Moral obligation after the death of God: critical reflections on concerns from Immanuel Kant, G. W. F. Hegel, and Elizabeth Anscombe H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr.

Subject Areas: Social & political philosophy [HPS], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ]