Ethic philosophy. What are special obligations? Social Sciences Essay

Ethics Philosophy
Name:
Institution:
Special obligations are commitments and responsibilities that are owed to a subset of individuals in contrast to the natural duties that are owed to all people. Most critically, people believe that they have special obligations to members of their families. However, it becomes complicated to provide credible and reasonable grounding to these obligations because people do not enter into familial relationships voluntarily (Jeske, 1998). For example, one does not choose his or her mother, father, brothers, and sisters. In this case, every individual owes more to his or her family members than the natural duty necessitates they do to other people. Besides, special obligations are less problematic with friends than with family members because individuals willingly and intentionally choose their friends. However, it is critical to note that special obligations may be established in familial relations because they fit in the promise and promiser model, but familial obligations should not be reduced to promise-keeping instances.
Philosophers also maintain that the level of special obligations may also differ slightly depending on the people involved. For example, familial obligations such as those between the parents and their children may be different from special obligations established between friends (Jeske, 1998). In this case, it would be assumed that individuals with familial obligations should be more critical about discharging their moral duty and meeting the promises they make. However, this view contradicts the utilitarian account for special obligations, which maintains that one’s obligations towards family members provide instances for promoting good. Then familial obligations may be considered overridden because people can promote good to most people by failing to act on these obligations. However, it is essential to note that individuals feel that they are justified to prioritize acting on familial obligations to benefit the family members even in situations where acting otherwise would facilitate more overall good. Besides, it is necessary to note that various factors would facilitate special obligations that would make people find it essential to act in ways that meet their obligations for certain groups of people. For example, it would be unnatural for children to dispose of the unconditional love they receive from their parents, and it is impossible to disregard the history that siblings share when growing up (Jeske, 1998). In such cases, it is likely for special obligations to override utilitarian reasons. On the contrary, there are situations where the siblings may not care for each other, and adult children may lack special obligations for parents who have cared for them throughout the years.
Moral theories would also be used in examining and evaluating the issues associated with special obligations. The primary defining feature of morality is that people should act from a perspective that recognizes that all people are equal and entitled to respect. However, it is keynoting that in the recent past, friendship and relationships tend to contradict the impartial perspective, and this is because such relationships are regarded as great goods of life (Wolf, 1992). Besid...