Impartiality

The concept of impartiality figures in ordinary morality and philosophical discussions of morality in several ways. A virtue in many everyday contexts, impartiality is widely seen as crucial to the very meaning of morality. Moreover, normative theories of various types view impartiality as central to moral justification and see themselves as reflecting, displaying, or building in some way on this value. In recent years, however, some philosophers have challenged the priority that traditional ethical theories place on impartiality.

Impartiality in Everyday Life

To be impartial is to be free from bias or prejudice, to be detached, objective, and disinterested, and to favor neither one side nor the other on a given question. Because we expect and require impartiality from judges and public officials, whose job it is ...

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