Do you think morality involves a variety of duties and norms that can sometimes conflict with one another, or do you think that morality is a more formulaic system with norms and rules that never come into conflict?

Philosophy Phriday Question:

Do you think someone like W.D. Ross is right that morality involves a variety of duties/norms that can sometimes conflict with one another, or do you agree more with someone like Immanuel Kant that morality is a more formulaic system with norms and rules that never come into conflict?

Ross argues that morality is made up of several basic duties rather than one master rule. These include duties like keeping promises, helping others, repairing past wrongs and avoiding harm. Each duty has real moral weight, but none of them is absolute in every situation. Because of this, they can pull in different directions when circumstances are complicated. Ross thinks that real moral judgment involves deciding which duty is most important in a given case, since conflicts between them are a normal part of moral life.

On the other hand, Kant sees morality as a system built from one supreme principle, the Categorical Imperative. This principle provides a clear test for any action: ask whether the rule you are acting on could be willed as a universal law for everyone. If it cannot be universalized, it is morally wrong. Because all genuine duties come from the same rational standard, Kant argues that they cannot truly conflict. When people think two duties collide, he believes they have misunderstood one of them or applied the principle incorrectly. Morality, for Kant, is therefore orderly, consistent and governed by a single formula that yields rules which always fit together.

What do you think?