Benevolence

Morality requires us to act for the good of others. This is not the only moral requirement there is, and it is, of course, controversial where the good of others lies. But whatever their good is, there can be no serious doubt that acting so as to bring it about is one crucial obligation morality places on us. Yet the nature of this obligation is unclear, because there are difficult questions about its aim and about the motivational sources required for realizing it. Who are the others for whose good we are obligated to act? Are they only people in our immediate context, or members of our society, or all human beings? And, as a matter of moral psychology, what leads us to honor this obligation? Is it a sense of justice, decency, prudence, benevolence, or some combination of these and perhaps other virtues? The answers we give will shape our understanding of the nature of the obligation. For the character traits which we think should move us will influence the choice of people we aim to benefit and the inclusiveness we attribute to the obligation will affect the motives we wish to cultivate in ourselves and others.

Context (archaeology) · Duty · Economic Justice · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Honor · Moral character · Moral obligation · Morality · Obligation · Political science · Prudence · Sociology · Virtue · Wish · Ethics in medical practice · Law · Philosophical Ethics and Theory · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Psychology · Social Psychology

• The moral demands of affluence

  Garrett Cullity•The moral demands of affluence•2004

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• Friendship, altruism and morality

  Lawrence A Blum•Friendship, altruism and morality•1982

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• An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals

  David Hume, Tom L Beauchamp•The Clarendon Edition of the…•1751

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• The Psychology of Benevolence and its Implications for Philosophy

  Richard B Brandt, Inc The Journal Of Philosophy•The Journal of Philosophy•1976

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• Utilitarianism

  Bernard Williams, J J C Smart•Utilitarianism•2013

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• The Concept of Benevolence

  Open Access•T A Roberts•The Concept of Benevolence•1973

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• Philosophy and ideology in Hume's political thought

  David Miller, David Leslie Miller•Philosophy and ideology in Hume's…•1985

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