Common Morality and Prima Facie Duties

Generic ethical theories like utilitarianism and deontology can sometimes feel too abstract for daily life. Common Morality refers to the aggregate of widespread moral beliefs and standards shared by a culture. Philosophers have attempted to systematize this “common sense” into practical frameworks.

W.D. Ross: Prima Facie Duties

W.D. Ross argued that morality is not based on a single “master rule” like utility. Instead, we have several prima facie (at first sight) duties that are universally obligatory unless they conflict with a stronger duty in a specific context.

Key prima facie duties include:

1. Fidelity: Keeping promises and being truthful.
2. Reparation: Making up for past wrongs.
3. Gratitude: Acknowledging the kindness of others.
4. Justice: Distributing benefits and burdens fairly.
5. Beneficence: Doing good for others.
6. Non-injury: Avoiding harm to others.

Ross acknowledged that these duties often conflict (e.g., your duty to be truthful might conflict with your duty to avoid harming someone). In such cases, you must use your judgment to decide which duty is “actual” or most pressing in that specific situation.

Bernard Gert: The Ten Moral Rules

Bernard Gert further systematized common morality into ten fundamental rules. These are primarily prohibitive (“don’t…”) and focused on preventing harm.

1. Don’t kill.
2. Don’t cause pain.
3. Don’t disable.
4. Don’t deprive of freedom.
5. Don’t deprive of pleasure.
6. Don’t deceive.
7. Keep your promises.
8. Don’t cheat.
9. Obey the law.
10. Do your duty.

Moral Ideals vs. Moral Rules

Gert made a distinction between moral rules (which are required and whose violation deserves punishment/censure) and moral ideals (which are aspirational, like volunteering or extraordinary acts of kindness). For an engineer, being “ethical” requires following the rules (e.g., don’t deceive users about data privacy), while being “exemplary” involves pursuing moral ideals (e.g., designing low-cost medical tech for underserved communities).

Applying Common Morality

This “pluralistic” approach—recognizing multiple valid duties—reflects the reality of engineering practice. Most ethical dilemmas are not “right vs. wrong” but “right vs. right” (e.g., the duty to protect the environment vs. the duty to provide jobs via a new factory). Systematizing these duties provides a vocabulary for discussing and resolving these conflicts.