Agent-neutral vs. agent-relative reasons

Abstract

The distinction between agent-relative and agent-neutral reasons is important to normative theory. Although the distinction is usually presented in terms of principles, this approach makes it difficult to accommodate moral particularism. Instead, a modified version of the principle-based approach can be used, which avoids this problem by using ‘default principles’. These principles capture the essence of the agent-relative/agent-neutral distinction without excluding particularists. It is important to note that this distinction is not the same as other related distinctions, such as universality/non-universality, generality/non-generality, or intersubjectivity/non-intersubjectivity. These distinctions have different meanings and functions and should not be confused with the agent-relative/agent-neutral distinction. The agent-relative/agent-neutral distinction is valuable in framing debates in normative philosophy, such as how to understand the divide between consequentialists and deontologists and how to understand the relationship between agent-relative norms and expressivism. – AI-generated abstract.