Categorizing Gert's Moral Theory
Although his moral system shares similarities to deontology, rule utilitarianism, and contractarianism, Gert does not ally himself with any of those positions. He writes, "I think that my view is best characterized as a natural law theory . . . in the tradition of Hobbes". He also writes, "my view has been characterized as Kant with consequences, as Mill with publicity, and as Ross with a theory."
However, when Walter Sinnott-Armstrong once labeled the theory as "a sophisticated form of negative objective universal public rule consequentialism", Gert replied that "there may be no point in denying that I am some form of consequentialist".
Read more about this topic: Bernard Gert
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