A puzzle about the rational authority of morality

Abstract

The paper examines the rational authority of morality in terms of four claims that can seem individually plausible but are incompatible. I. Moral requirements–including other regarding obligations– apply to agents independently of their aims or interests; II. Moral requirements provide agents with reasons for action; III. Reasons for action are dependent on the aims or interests of the agent who has them; IV. There is no necessary connection between other-regarding action and any aim or interest of the agent. The paper represents familiar positions as solutions to this puzzle and discusses their resources, limitations, and interrelations.