Final answer:
The duties owed by agents to their clients are known as fiduciary duties, encompassing responsibilities like the duty of fidelity and the duty of reparation. Philosopher W.D. Ross has expounded on these moral commitments, emphasizing their contextual importance and the need for agents to judiciously prioritize them.
Step-by-step explanation:
The duties owed by agents to their clients are termed fudiciary duties. These duties represent moral and often legal obligations that agents must uphold when acting on behalf of their clients. Notable philosopher W.D. Ross has identified key duties that reflect our moral commitments which can be seen in the context of an agent-client relationship. These commitments include: a duty of fidelity, meaning to keep promises and be honest; a duty of reparation, which involves making amends for harms done; a duty of gratitude, which pertains to showing appreciation and reciprocation; a duty to promote a maximum of aggregate good; and a duty of non-maleficence, aimed at avoiding harm to others.
Ross believed that these duties, while not absolute, suggest a hierarchy in terms of their importance in any given situation and depend on the context. For example, a duty of non-maleficence might take precedence over a duty to promote maximum aggregate good in certain circumstances. Agents must exercise judgment to resolve conflicts between duties when representing clients.