C-017Rossian Pluralism vs. ConsequentialismConfidence: Medium
Does Consequentialism Demand too Much?
Kagan (1984)
One-Sentence Thesis
Consequentialism demands too much from moral agents, requiring them to make the greatest possible contribution to the overall good, regardless of personal sacrifice, which contradicts ordinary moral intuitions.
Argument Outline
- 1Introduction to consequentialism and its demands
- 2The objection that consequentialism demands too much
- 3The need for a plausible defense of the common moral view
- 4Discussion of David Heyd's Supererogation and its limitations
Key Distinctions
Consequentialism vs. ordinary moral intuitions
Moral requirements vs. supererogatory acts
Optimal acts vs. permissible acts
Key Terms
Consequentialism
The moral theory that an act is morally permissible if and only if it has better consequences than those of any available alternative act
Supererogation
The concept of acts that are optimal but not morally required
Flashcards
19 cardsRelated Questions
3
Which concept is a central focus of Kagan's "Does Consequentialism Demand too Much?"?
3
In Kagan's "Does Consequentialism Demand too Much?", Kagan responds to which of the following?
3
In Kagan's "Does Consequentialism Demand too Much?", Scheffler defines which of the following?
3
In Kagan's "Does Consequentialism Demand too Much?", Kagan criticizes which of the following?
4
Which of the following does Kagan criticizes in "Does Consequentialism Demand too Much?"?
3
In Kagan's "Does Consequentialism Demand too Much?", Scheffler's liberation strategy contrasts with which of the following?