Final answer:
The claim that duty theory emphasizes the duty we owe to ourselves is false. Sir William David Ross's duty theory stresses the multiple moral duties we owe to others and focuses on determining the most pressing duty in situations with conflicting obligations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the key value of duty theory emphasizes the duty we owe ourselves, as claimed by James Feiser, is false. Duty theory, particularly as articulated by Sir William David Ross, primarily emphasizes the various moral duties we owe to others rather than solely focusing on our duties to ourselves. Ross identified several prima facie duties that we owe, which include duties of fidelity, reparation, gratitude, the duty to promote the maximum aggregate of good, and the duty of non-maleficence. He believed that judgment plays a crucial role in moral life as we often need to determine our actual duty in situations where multiple contradictory prima facie duties are relevant. By using judgment, we rank these prima facie duties based on their importance and relevance to the particular circumstances to determine our actual duty.
Furthermore, Ross argues that resolving conflicts between duties involves considering the overall balance of prima facie rightness against prima facie wrongness. This approach contrasts with classical utilitarianism and deontology, which Ross criticizes for oversimplifying moral life by reducing it to a single principle. Instead, his pluralist view recognizes the complexity of moral life and the need for a nuanced understanding of our multiple duties.