Abstract

Equal treatment and sensitivity to differences are often seen as contradictory demands on moral theory. However, they are consistent if moral principles are capable of various degrees of generality. General principles structure moral perception and judgement. When they are in conflict with each other, they give rise to more specific principles. Supplemented with an adequate decision procedure, principles can guide action in a way that avoids uniformity of rigorism and indeterminacy of situationism. Textual analysis shows that, contrary to traditional interpretations, Kantian maxims are good candidates for principles that can be general and specific.