Question

Do we have an obligation to our family members outside parental responsibility and filial piety? So siblings, cousins, etc., can we reasonably expect them to have different sorts of moral agency for us than they do for others?

Answer 1

Moral obligations to family members are shaped by cultural values, doctrines like Confucianism, and moral principles such as Ross's prima facie duties, which extend beyond direct parental care and filial piety.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question touches on the nature of moral obligation and family responsibilities beyond direct parental care and filial piety to include siblings, cousins, and broader kinship. According to Confucian values, which articulate a framework for social and ethical behavior, there exists a hierarchy of filial piety that prescribes greater concern for family members, progressing outward to the local community and the state. This network of obligations is influenced by various cultural traditions and doctrines, suggesting that there are indeed different moral agencies owed to family members over others.

Ross's prima facie duties also illustrate moral commitments that may extend to familial relations, by acknowledging duties of fidelity, reparation, gratitude, promotion of good, and non-maleficence towards others, which can be interpreted to include family members. Social hierarchies and kinship structures, which differ across cultures, further define the extent and nature of these responsibilities. Thus, moral obligations to our family members are both implicitly and explicitly defined by cultural norms, moral principles, and social structures.