The public life of political servants is characterized by other duties and obligations than private life. Conflicts can even arise between a person's public and private duties. The central point of this paper is to examine whether this difference of duties can be regarded as an effect of different forms of obligation. Can we speak of a particular form of political obligation in the same way in which Kant distinguishes between ethical and legal obligation, the former pertaining to intentions and the latter to external aspects of the action? Could political obligation be distinguished from both of them, for example by its relation towards ends? The first section develops the thesis that if there is such a thing as political necessity, it must be some kind of moral obligation. The second section focuses on the question of whether political obligation can be conceived of as different from legal and ethical obligation, the only two forms of moral obligation that Kant distinguishes. The last section is about a differentiated conception of political obligation and virtue, in democracies, for political leaders, for citizens, and for public servants.
All modern societies in some way accept the distinction between legal and ethical obligation. The former constitutes an exterior sphere of norms and rules, including duties which citizens can be compelled to perform by the threat of punishment or other legal consequences, the latter concerns the interior sphere of a person's conscience and private intentions. Making this distinction can be seen as the explicit acknowledgement of what Agnes Heller has called 'the first structural change in morals': the evolution of a separate subjective sphere of morality within the public ethical life. (1) ...
... middle of paper ...
...cal action: the problem of dirty hands, in : Philosophy and Public Affairs, 1973, pp. 160-180; Thomas Nagel, Mortal questions, Cambridge 1979, pp. 53-90; Bernard Williams, Moral Luck. Philosophical Papers 1973-1980, Cambridge 1981, pp. 54-70.
(3) Kai Nielsen, There is no dilemma of dirty hands, in: South African Journal of Philosophy, 15-1 (1996), pp. 1-7.
(4) Thomas Nagel, Mortal questions, p. 89.
(5) See e.g. R.M. Hare, Political Obligation, in: Ted Honderich (ed.), Social Ends and Political Means, London 1976, pp. 1-12.
(6) I. Kant, Die Metaphysik der Sitten, Akademie-Ausgabe, Berlin 1902, Bd VI, p. 232.
(7) Cf. Peter Schneider, Recht und Macht, Gedanken zum modernen Verfassungsstaat, Mainz 1970, p. 224.
(8) Cf. Bernard Williams, Consequentialism and Integrity, in: Samuel Scheffler (ed.), Consequentialism and its Critics, Oxford 1988, pp. 20-50.
Morgan, Michael L., ed. Classics of Moral and Political Theory. 3rd Edition. Indianapolis. Hackett, 2001.
...c song. Many songs were considered for the national anthem including “Yankee Doodle,” “America the Beautiful,” “My Country! Tis of Thee’” and “Hail Columbia.” “The Star Spangled Banner” remains timeless as it does not directly mention the battle that it portrays. It also never directly mentions the United States. The entire poem is a metaphor of America and what America is all about. This year the “Star-Spangled Banner” will turn 200 and my hope is more Americans will take the time to learn more about our national anthem.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) was founded In 1934 and In 1960 was found oil in the North Sea, what changed the Scottish public opinion about the Union as the main cause to join it was economical; having oil would suppose economical independence from England.
Osmosis is a type of diffusion which is only applied on water and is a passive process which does not require an input of energy from the cell; this is because materials are moving with the concentration gradient. Osmosis is a process that occurs at a cellular level, which entails the spontaneous net movement of water through a selectively permeable membrane, from a region of high to low water concentration, in order to equalise the level of water in each region. This form of diffusion takes place when the molecules in a high concentration are too large to move through the membrane. The term semi-permeable or selectively permeable means that some substances can easily pass through the cell membrane, whereas others cannot. The significance of osmosis to cells is great, since it is the osmotic pressure that maintains the shape of an animal cell and provides support in the plant cells. Many factors affect the rate of osmosis including size of particles and temperature however in this particular experiment the factor investigated is the concentration of sodium chloride. Tubes of potatoes will be used to demonstrate the fact...
Scotland's independence is a hotly debated subject with both sides, pro-union and pro-independence, having strong campaigns. Both campaigns, ‘Better Together’ and ‘Yes Scotland’, are unfortunately both biased as they are bombarding the British people with distorted facts, statistics and predictions in hope to gain more support. The public should therefore view both sides claims, expert opinions and keep an open mind to make the right decision on this very important matter on whether it is in Scotlands best interest to become independent or remain part o...
Type of tissue- this will be controlled by using only one type of tissue, which is the potato
Louden, Robert B. "On Some Vices of Virtue Ethics." American Philosophical Quarterly 21, no. 3 (1984): 227-36.
Beauchamp, T. L.(2003). A Defense of the Common Morality. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 13(3), 259-274.
"How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?" National Sleep Foundation. N.p., 2013. Web. 6 May 2014. .
In conclusion, I have argued that without a sense of accountability a connection to morality cannot be made. Wirzba’s claim holds true, and we must take into account our actions and be respectful of the requirements of the places we encounter.
Cahn, Steven M. and Peter Markie, Ethics: History, Theory and Contemporary Issues. 4th Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Daniel Jordan Smith presents an outstanding work full of insight and appreciation of Nigerian culture. The content is enriched by his years spent working there, his marriage to a Nigerian woman and his obvious affinity for the Nigerian people. Smith’s primary aim is to reflect upon popular Nigerian sentiment toward corruption but also to explore just how entrenched corrupt practices have become in society. The book focuses on two main elements; how Nigeria is as much a ‘culture of corruption’ as it is ‘against corruption’ (p. 6).
Furrow, Dwight. Ethics- Key Concepts In Philosophy. New York, NY: Continuum, 2005. Print. 20 Oct. 2011
The relationship between law and morality has been argued over by legal theorists for centuries. The debate is constantly be readdressed with new cases raising important moral and legal questions. This essay will explain the nature of law and morality and how they are linked.
How often have you ever woken up and wondered why sleep is needed in the first place and questioned the importance of it? Those are very popular questions that many humans ask today, as sleep is an essential part of a person’s health and wellbeing, yet people all over the world each night do not get enough sleep. This research essay will be looking at the nature of sleeping, the importance of getting a good night’s rest and the consequences if a person does not get enough sleep. A good night's sleep is incredibly important for health and making a person feel better. Sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and can have many beneficial factors for the body, mind, and so much more as “ an average human sleeps