Book contents
- Of Moral Conduct
- Of Moral Conduct
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Dimensions of Moral Conduct
- Part II Moral Obligation
- 4 Moral Principles
- 5 Higher-Level Moral Obligations
- 6 Living Morally
- Part III Moral Knowledge and Normative Realism
- Part IV Reasons, Values, and Obligations
- References
- Index
6 - Living Morally
from Part II - Moral Obligation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2023
- Of Moral Conduct
- Of Moral Conduct
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I Dimensions of Moral Conduct
- Part II Moral Obligation
- 4 Moral Principles
- 5 Higher-Level Moral Obligations
- 6 Living Morally
- Part III Moral Knowledge and Normative Realism
- Part IV Reasons, Values, and Obligations
- References
- Index
Summary
Living morally is not just a matter of fulfilling one’s obligations, important though that is. It requires a stable pattern of moral conduct, which should not only meet the standards expressed by the commonsense principles described in Chapter 4 but also meet the two higher-level standards proposed in Chapter 5. Living morally does not require that everything we do be morally motivated, but it does require appropriate conduct. This is the three-dimensional kind of behavior identifiable by asking thick moral questions. These concern not just what we should do but also the other two dimensions of conduct: first, what our motivation would be and second, the manner in which we would act. How, in practice, we are to frame and sustain intentions to achieve good conduct is a difficult matter, and it calls for descriptions of the different kinds of guiding intentions that put moral conduct on life’s itinerary.
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- Of Moral ConductA Theory of Obligation, Reasons, and Value, pp. 116 - 136Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023