The Absolute Duties Law

Absolute duty is integral to Roman Catholic theology.

Absolute duty is an essential tenet of Canon law, the rules governing the Roman Catholic Church. Simply stated, people have absolute, irrevocable duties to God. Obeying the Ten Commandments is one of those duties, and common to all Judeo-Christian religions.

Ethical Absolute Duties

In the 17th century, German philosopher Samuel Pufendorf identified three absolute duties relating to ethical human interaction. First, people should consider all other people their peers. Second, they should support the well-being of others, and third, they should never do anything to hurt anyone.

Patriotic Absolute Duties

U.S. Senators must swear an oath of loyalty.

In the United States, members of Congress and the military swear a loyalty oath to the Constitution. It states in part, "... I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Violation of that oath can be considered an act of treason.

The Moral Dilemma

Individuals must sometimes make a choice of which absolute duty outweighs the other. The Ten Commandments say a person should not kill. The U.S. oath of loyalty says a person must defend the Constitution against all enemies. Which absolute duty is greater? That depends on who you ask.

References

• New Advent: Canon Law
• Dictionary of Canon Law: Absolute Duties
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Ethics
• U.S. Army Center of Military History: Oaths of Enlistment and Oaths of Office