Prichard moral obligation pdf

Harold prichard was the acknowledged leader of a group of moral philosophers who worked together in oxford between the two world wars, and which included w. Ross the right and the good, 1930, and foundations of ethics, 1939. They make a mistake which is far more radical than any which we should even be inclined to suspect beforehand mo 221. Before defending this view, considers two possible grounds for moral obligation. Few moral judgments are more intuitively obvious and more widely shared than that promises ought to be kept. Prichard, jim macadam this is the definitive collection of the ethical work of the great oxford moral philosopher h. Prichard moral obligation, published posthumously in 1949, and w. Prichard gave an influential defence of ethical intuitionism in his does moral philosophy rest. Prichard gave an influential defence of ethical intuitionism in his does moral philosophy rest on a mistake. After explaining how plato justified morality by maintaining that the observance of moral principles will make a person happier in the long run, prichard argued that the desire for personal happiness or any kind of desire fails as a legitimate reason for observing moral obligations. Prichard and the ethics of virtue, notes on a footnote.

Moral obligation the philosophical quarterly oxford academic. This book, edited by sir david ross, contains all the writings on ethical subjects which were found in a suitable state for publication among the papers left by professor prichard at his death. Prichard is known as the author of a paper with one of the best titles in the history of philosophy, does moral philosophy rest on a. It is in part this fixed place in our intuitive judgments that makes promises of particular interest to philosophers, as well as a host of social scientists and other theorists. Rejecting the last question as unreal, prichard then argues against the connection between duty and happiness. Urmson, was publishedthe extended title referring to the addition of prichards. Anscombes essay is powerful and direct, and it makes a forthright case for the claim that, in the absence of a divine law conception of ethics, any speci. Although many associate the terms with bernard williams work on practical reason, the terms internalism and externalism, along with the general contours of debates in ethical theory between views so dubbed, were originally introduced by w. Moreover, prichard claims that our sense of obligation is the immediate result of a process of moral thought. Harold arthur prichard 1949 oxford, clarendon press. Mar 21, 2012 one option frey does not consider is noted in passing in thomas hurkas rich essay on h.

According to this view, moral obligation derives from the command of someone who has legitimate au thority over the moral agent and so can make laws for her. Promises are of special interest to ethical theorists, as. The dominant accounts of moral obligation today take as their main task the derivation of duties that are owed to other people generally, simply in virtue of their being rational agents or in some other way essentially creatures like us. David rossnoted that there are many situations in which an agents misapprehension of his circumstances results in. Harold arthur prichard, moral obligation philpapers. Dahl 1 philosophical studies volume 50, pages 369 399 1986 cite this article. The tendency to justify acting on moral rules in this way is natural. The principle of duty, as a moral principle, is not as popular as it once was. There is, first, intuitionism, to be considered here as represented by g. Examines four principle questions about moral obligation raised by key philosophers. Prichard on moral obligation article in social philosophy and policy 2702.

One option frey does not consider is noted in passing in thomas hurkas rich essay on h. Prichard on moral obligation, social philosophy and policy 27 2010, 1114, m. Significant issues on which prichard changed his mind. It is worth recalling in some detail what prichards reservations are. Rejecting the last question as unreal, prichard then argues. Ross and for anyone who has ever felt morally obligated, this seems pretty hard to deny.

Prichard, moral obligation and duty and interest oxford. He was born in london in 1871, the eldest child of walter stennett prichard a solicitor and his wife lucy. To the question what is the basis of moral obligation. Oxford university press, 1968, 18 39 essay originally published 1932. These accounts begin by deriving our most general duties to others, and only then if ever. Prichards arguments against ideal utilitarianism utilitas. This view is favored by philosophers who believe that morality is grounded in human nature. We have finished with our survey of traditional ethical theories, in my. Prichards defense of the view that moral duty is underivative, as reflected in his argument that it is a mistake to ask why ought i to do. Prichard distinguished between the moral motive, which is a sense of obligation, and ordinary motives, which are desires. Lecture on the theory of moral obligation being the first of a course of lectures delivered before the university of oxford in lent term mdcccxxx. Prichard, moral obligation essays and lectures philpapers.

I refer to this as a teleological theory of obligation since it identifies a persons reason to be moral with the attainment of a non moral goal. According to prichard, the whole body of moral philosophy rests on a set of mistakes, similar in many senses to those produced by epistemology. In moral obligation, prichard argues that ideal utilitarians are guilty of resolving obligation into something which it is not mo 225. Hurka interestingly proposes that the basic moral elements might include permissions as well as duties. The negative side of all this is, of course, that we do not come to appreciate an obligation by an argument, i. A collection of prichards writings in moral philosophy was edited by ross and published posthumously in 1949 under the title moral obligation, and in 1968 a new edition of these writings, moral obligation and duty and interest, with a preface by j. It is witb overall moral obligation that tbe morally conscientious person is primarily concerned. Prichard attacks utilitarianism as not being capable of forming obligation.

Prichard maintains that our feelings of obligation are basic and immediate prima facie, to borrow an expression from fellow intuitionist w. It is worth recalling in some detail what prichard s reservations are. Zimmerman university of north carolina at greensboro many philosophers hold that whether an act is overall morally obligatory is an objective matter, many that it is a subjective matter, and some that it is both. Witbin tbe province of overall obligation, many philosophers allege tbat tbere is yet a furtber ambiguity between wbat are often called objective obligation and subjective obligation. Prichard, in full harold arthur prichard, born oct. Prichards argument assumes that there really are moral obligations to be 1 h. For prichards views on utilitarianism as a constitution theory, see does moral philosophy. Desire and a sense of obligation are coordinate species of motive 15. In his bestknown paper, prichard sees obligation toward specific actions as called for. Awareness of a moral obligation depends upon two preliminaries. I refer to this as a teleological theory of obligation since it identifies a persons reason to be moral with the attainment of a nonmoral goal.

Dodsworth a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy philosophy in the university of michigan 2007 doctoral committee. Harold prichard was a scholar of clifton college from where he won a scholarship to new college, oxford, to study mathematics. Background in the early part of the twentieth century, writers on moral philosophy prominently bertrand russell, c. Prichard is known as the author of a paper with one of the best titles in the history of philosophy, does moral philosophy rest on a mistake. Harold arthur prichard 30 october 1871 29 december 1947, usually cited as h. Prichard claims that moral philosophy as it has traditionally been conceived. It is improper to imply that all right acts are right for the same reason. It is your duty, you have an obligation, there is a moral requirement. Prichard agrees with an even more extreme version of this history, though not with rashdalls evaluation hence the view that moral philosophy rests on a mistake, a mistake he thinks butler and kant made as well for kant, see mo 208, 215, 216, mm 1539, to ross 11.