Reading - What Makes Right Acts Right

Knowledge I gained from the reading:
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Sir William David Ross disagrees with many other moral theorists that there is a single moral principle that can be used to derive more specific moral obligations. He supports the theory that there are moral rules that are basic in moral thought. According to Ross, we should fulfill our moral duties and use moral judgments in times when these duties conflict in specific circumstances.

When a person performs a task or fulfills a promise just because it is morally the right thing to do and because he fulfills his promise regardless of the outcome or consequences in his favor or not, then that person is doing the right thing. On the other hand, sometime it is necessary to break a promise for a greater good and use the moral judgment and when we break the promise in this kind of situation then that is the right thing to do. For example, if I promised to meet a friend for dinner and then found out that another friend is sick and does not have a way to get to a doctor, then in this case the right act for me would be to break my promise for dinner and instead take the sick friend to a doctor.

In general, by keeping promises or implicit promises, taking care of a previous wrongful act or duties of reparation, returning services or duties of gratitude, doing the right thing or duties of justice, trying to improve other’s conditions or duties of beneficence, improving our own condition or duties of self-improvement and not injuring others or causing others harm we can make an act right.



Personal insights I am able to make from the reading:
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After reading this article, we can come to conclusion that by using common sense and better judgments we can choose to do right and avoid doing wrong. We should fulfill our moral obligations to the society and others and not cause harm to others. If we think that we previously have engaged ourselves in any wrongful act then it is our moral duty and obligation to fix the issue.


Questions and challenges the reading has left me with:
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There is no question in my mind that, doing good and avoiding bad is our moral responsibility. We should always be ready to help each other and use best judgment if we run into any conflict when we perform our duties.


Practical and personal applications I am able to make for the knowledge gained:
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In my personal and practical life, I will use better judgment and always do what is ethically right and perform my moral responsibilities to the society in general.



References:
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W. D. Ross. (1930). The Right and the Good.