Toward a theory of moral debt:(I)The idea of moral debt in the common understanding

Abstract

Part One. In our strife to express the meanings of moral terms, we have neglected the one transparently built‐in meaning: ‘A man ought to keep his promises’ could mean ‘A man owes it to other men to keep his promises. Such is his debt and duty — just what is due or owed’. This proposal is supported by the evidence of major languages of the world, ancient and modern, in all of which identical or closely related words serve to express both the idea of material debt and that of moral obligation. But on study the revealing model and analogue of ‘moral debt’ is found, not in debts of exchange, the simplest and most obvious class of debts, but in debts of shared responsibility. Working from such models we conclude that ’A ought to do X’ means X is part of A's share in the cost of the good community, the common cause and stake of all mankind’.