Question

Obligations not to harm others are sometimes less stringent than obligations to help others. (True or False?)

Answer 1

Obligations not to harm others are sometimes less stringent than obligations to help others. This statement is true.

Step-by-step explanation:

Obligations not to harm others are sometimes less stringent than obligations to help others. This statement is true. In ethical theories, there is the notion of prima facie duties, which represents our main moral commitments. These duties include fidelity, reparation, gratitude, promoting maximum good, and non-maleficence. According to Ross, a duty of non-maleficence, or not harming others, is weightier than a duty to promote maximum good. So, in some cases, the obligation to avoid harm may take precedence over the obligation to help others.

Answer 2

duties not to harm are more stringent than duties to aid—they provide a further reason to act over and above any one might have in the absence of having contributed to the harm.