Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Parmenides', 'A Critique of Utilitarianism' and 'The Limits of Communitarianism'

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23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 3. Universalisability
We don't have a duty to ensure that others do their duty [Williams,B]
     Full Idea: If the goodness of the world were to consist in people's fulfilling their obligations, it would by no means follow that one of my obligations was to bring it about that other people kept their obligations
     From: Bernard Williams (A Critique of Utilitarianism [1973], 2)
     A reaction: If the maxim of my action is 'ensure that everyone does their duty', presumably that can be universalised. Nelson thought so. It just sounds like a hideous world of self-righteous interference.