Final answer:
The d)Duty of Priority is the obligation that must be acted upon before any other considerations. This concept, originating from William David Ross's philosophy, suggests prioritizing the most immediate and morally pressing duties in situations with conflicting moral responsibilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The duty or obligation that must be acted upon before any other considerations, according to the options provided, is d) Duty of Priority. This concept aligns with the philosophical discussions of Sir William David Ross on moral responsibilities. When we encounter situations with competing moral responsibilities or prima facie duties, Ross suggests that we must prioritize duties based on immediate moral weight and consequences. This quasi-consequentialist approach seeks to accomplish the greatest balance of prima facie rightness over wrongness. Morality dictates that in complex situations, judgment is required to discern one's actual duty, especially when prima facie duties conflict.
Ross identified key prima facie duties like fidelity, reparation, gratitude, promoting good, and non-maleficence, implying that not all duties hold equal weight in moral considerations. Often, the most pressing actual duty, as per Ross, would likely relate to immediate obligations of non-maleficence and reparation over broader duties like promoting the maximum aggregate of good.