论道德理想与道德义务

Moral Ideal and Moral Duty

现代西方伦理学过度关注道德义务而忽略了道德理想在理论建构与实践生活中的重要地位和作用。道德理想作为个人的可选择性行为,常常表现为超义务行为和份外行善,但它并非与道德义务毫无关联,从严格义务到最高的道德理想之间存在着一个连续性的谱系。站在美德伦理学的角度,一个行动者毫无道德理想、从不做出任何超义务行为,其道德动机和品格至少是有缺陷的。

Modern western ethics pays too much attention to moral obligation and neglects the important position and function of moral ideal in theoretical construction and practical life.Moral ideal,as an individual’s optional behavior,is often manifested as super-obligation and extra-obligation to do good,but it is not unrelated to moral obligation.There is a continuous pedigree between strict obligation and the highest moral ideal.From the perspective of virtue ethics,while an actor has no moral ideal and never does any super-obligation,his moral motivation and character are at least defective.