The lesser evil obligation

Abstract

In a “lesser evil” situation (prominent in war), a third party is all things considered justified in treating some rights bearer in a way that he has a right not be treated. But complementary to the lesser evil justification are cases that involve what Rodin calls “the greater good obligation.” A greater good obligation arises in a situation in which a rights beneficiary is all things considered obligated to act in a certain way toward an agent despite the fact that he has the right with respect to that agent to act otherwise, because of the overwhelming importance of realizing some independent greater good. The greater good obligation can provide a persuasive explanation of several otherwise puzzling issues in the ethics of war and broader normative theory.