Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

10-2016

Abstract

It is common to distinguish moral rules, reasons, or values that are agent-relative from those that are agent-neutral. One can also distinguish moral rules, reasons, or values that are moment-relative from those that are moment-neutral. In this article, I introduce a third distinction that stands alongside these two distinctions—the distinction between moral rules, reasons, or values that are patient-relative and those that are patient-neutral. I then show how patient-relativity plays an important role in several moral theories, gives us a better understanding of agent-relativity and moment-relativity, and provides a novel objection to Derek Parfit’s “appeal to full relativity” argument.

Keywords

agent-relative, time-relative, moment-relative, patient-relative, appeal to full relativity, patient-relativity, patient-neutral, patient-neutrality

Discipline

Philosophy

Research Areas

Humanities

Publication

Ethics

Volume

127

Issue

1

First Page

06

Last Page

26

ISSN

0014-1704

Identifier

10.1086/687330

Publisher

University of Chicago Press: No Paid Open Access

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1086/687330

Included in

Philosophy Commons

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