Duty

In daily speech, duty is often conceptualized as a requirement that a person must fulfill. It is typical of the everyday conception that duty is thought of as being opposed to acting on the basis of a desire or a passion. The opposition with acting on the basis of a desire to further one’s self-interest is particularly strong. Duty is also seen as the most peremptory way in which a person can be urged. Failing to acknowledge or live up to a duty means that a person is performing conduct that goes out of bounds.

The concept of duty is employed in many domains of action. We can distinguish parental duties, military duties, and professional duties. The two most important contexts in which the concept is ...