On the Place of Impartiality in the Moral Normative System

Abstract

The paper deals with a question about the place of the impartiality requirement in the normative system of morality. There are two answers to it: 1) impartiality accompanies the fulfillment of any moral duty, 2) impartiality has its own re­stricted scope. The second answer was conceptualized by an influential Ameri­can ethicist Bernard Gert. In Gert’s opinion, impartiality is relevant only for an agent that carries out ten moral norms (all of them are prohibitions) or vio­lates these norms under justifying conditions. Though, the impartial behavior is senseless and impossible in the sphere where positive requirements are fulfilled without violations of norms. Gert calls positive requirements ‘moral ideals’. The central moral ideal is ‘Help the needy’. Gert beliefs that an agent is always al­lowed to chose recipients of his help on the basis of his/her personal attachments and relations. The author challenges the Gert’s hypothesis. First, he demonstrates that impartiality is also relevant for an agent fulfilling a perfect duty to rescue without any violation of a moral norm. This agent is not allowed to rely on partial considerations. He/she cannot choose freely whom to help. Second, the author shows that the formula ‘Help the needy’ by itself compels us to treat impartially all members of the group that includes those who are in need and who are not.