W. D. Ross’ Intuitionism is a Blessing for Parents
One of the best philosophical theories in my opinion, which aids in my ability to navigate the challenges in parenting is by a man named W. D. Ross. He created a moral theory which is known as Intuitionism. This theory provides what he calls “prima facie” duties, which are duties people are obliged to and are accepted as correct until proven otherwise (if a more important duty trumps it). He outlines eight of these prima facie duties: fidelity, reparation, gratitude, non-injury, harm-prevention, beneficence, self-improvement, and justice. This theory explains that when faced with a decision, one must see which prima facie duties apply, and using the guidelines (such as non-injury overrides every other prima facie duty), one must morally decide which duty to honour. This is the basis of the theory. I feel that it is a very effective way of helping me discern right from wrong, and to make moral decisions. It allows me to look at a situation with no judgements, and I can see which duties apply in that moment. Then, the decision of which duty to follow is guided by the rules of priority of the duties. For example, say I was on the street and an old man collapses right beside me with what appears to be a heart attack. I’m about a block away from the nearest phone where I could call for help. There is a bike nearby with no one else around. I am faced with the moral decision to either take the bike and call for help, or not take the bike and just sit with the old man. Using this theory, I could discern right from wrong and come to a moral decision by identifying the prima facie duties in this situation, and deciding what takes priority. If I don’t take the bike, I have the duty of justice, and if I take the bike I have the duty of harm-prevention. In this circumstance, harm-prevention takes priority and is the actual duty, and I’ve come to my moral decision using this theory. Thus, as shown in the example, this theory is very effective in helping me make moral decisions, and also helps to form my moral and ethical stance by deciding which prima facie duties are more important in different scenarios. This is especially helpful in parenting, since many ethical situations arise. By using this theory, I have a concrete and effective method for discerning which decision to make. I feel this is extremely important since as a parent I am very busy and have many worries, and I don’t want to have to stress over whether or not I made the moral decision. This theory in practice takes the pressure off since there are rules to follow in terms of coming to a moral decision. I feel that since I feel more comfortable having guidelines, that this theory is perfect for me as a parent to decide between moral and immoral. However, although there are rules, I am also using my conscience and I am able to teach my children about the prima facie duties they are obligated to follow. Yet, at the same time I will also be teaching them how to use their God-given conscience to decide which duty is most important in their situation. For these reasons, I think that W. D. Ross’ theory of Intuitionism is perfect for aiding my ability to navigate possible parenting challenges.
-Mama Bear