Question

What is ethical particularism? Define the theory, and explain how it differs from other ethical views. What is the biggest problem for ethical particularism? How might an ethical particularist respond to this problem?

Answer 1

• Ethical particularism claims that any non-moral feature that in one situation is a reason why something is, for example., morally wrong, may in another situation be morally irrelevant or have an opposite moral valence.
• Ethical particularism entails, in other words, the non-existence of true or sound moral principles. Actions, persons, and situations acquire their moral features contextually in a way that escapes codification in principled terms.
• This stands in stark contrast to other prominent moral theories, such as deontology or utilitarianism.
• In the former, it is asserted that people have a set of duties (that are to be considered or respected); in the latter, people are to respect the happiness or the preferences of others in their actions.
• Particularism, to the contrary, asserts that there are no overriding principles that are applicable in every case, or that can be abstracted to apply to every case.
• According to particularism, most notably defended by Jonathan Dancy, moral knowledge should be understood as knowledge of moral rules of thumb, which are not principles, and of particular solutions, which can be used by analogy in new cases.
• It ultimately requires that one will be in good faith upon each particular circumstance as opposed to falling under the influence of narcissism.
• Problems for ethical particularism-it's lack of unity;accounting for moral knowledge and some things possess permanent moral importance is the biggest problem.
• Ethical Particularism main points-
• There are no absolute rules
• There are no primafacie duties-A prima facie duty is a duty that is binding (obligatory) other things equal, that is, unless it is overridden or trumped by another duty or duties. Another way of putting it is that where there is a prima facie duty to do something, there is at least a fairly strong presumption in favor of doing it.
• No actions are morally important
• Context is all that matters
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