Duty is what a person ought to do because of morality, law, promise, or role. It does not depend entirely on personal desire.
Duty matters because human life cannot be sustained only by interest and benefit. Parents have duties toward children, citizens have duties under law, and friends may have duties of loyalty and help. Kantian ethics especially emphasizes duty, arguing that the moral worth of an action lies not only in its consequences, but in respect for moral law. In modern society, duty often conflicts with freedom. Do I have a duty to help strangers? Does a company have a duty to protect user data? Duty reminds us that moral life is not simply doing what we want, but recognizing that we are bound by certain obligations.
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- What Is Morality?
- What Is Responsibility?
- What Is Freedom?
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