Christian Lee Avin B.

Evaristo BSLM 1A
ETH 101 | Mr. David Floyd Roxas June 25, 2021

Summary Outline:
What Makes Right Acts Right? By W.D. Ross

A. What Makes Right Acts Right?

- Ross is much more attracted to Professor Moore’s theory that what makes actions
right is that they are productive of more good than could have been produced by any
other action open to the doer.
- This theory attempts to base rightness on the percentage of an action to give
advantage or pleasure to its doer.

B. Prima Facie Duty

- According to Ross, prima facie duties are duties that an individual have an obligation
to do—however people are free to not comply with it if non-compliance will yield more
good. Therefore, they are come kind of “conditional duties.”
- An example presented in the text is that of a promise and how it can be “right” to not
abide by one’s promise if it means that you are able to produce more good in doing so.

C. Characteristics of Prima Facie Duties

- Some duties rest on one’s precious acts.
- Some rest on the previous acts of other individuals that is done on my own person.
- Some rest on the possibility of the distribution of pleasure.
- Some rest on the mere fact that we can make better conditions for all beings in the
world.
- Some rest on the possibility for self-improvement.
- Injuring others is failing to do others good.