Ogien argues that the concept of a "duty to oneself" is a logical contradiction. A duty implies a relationship between two parties: one who owes and one who is owed. If the debtor and the creditor are the same person, the obligation becomes meaningless, as the individual can always grant themselves a "pardon" or exemption. By removing duties to oneself from the moral equation, Ogien liberates the private sphere from moral judgment, leaving it instead to the realm of personal preference and aesthetics. Neutrality and Pluralism
Perhaps Ogien’s most controversial claim is the denial of "duties to oneself." Traditional ethics, from Kantianism to Aristotelian virtue ethics, often suggests we have a moral obligation to develop our talents, preserve our health, or maintain our dignity. Download Ruwen Ogien philosophie morale epub
between Ogien and other liberal thinkers like John Stuart Mill. Ogien argues that the concept of a "duty
Ruwen Ogien’s moral philosophy represents a radical departure from traditional "maximalist" ethics. While many moral systems seek to provide a comprehensive guide on how to live a "good" or "virtuous" life, Ogien’s "minimalist ethics" proposes a stripped-down framework designed to protect individual freedom while maintaining social cooperation. At the heart of his project is the rejection of moral paternalism and the assertion that ethics should primarily concern our treatment of others, rather than our governance of ourselves. The Core Principle: No Harm to Others By removing duties to oneself from the moral