At first appearance; describing moral duties or rights that are binding unless overridden by stronger moral considerations. A duty that seems obvious but might be defeated by competing obligations.
Latin phrase meaning 'at first sight' or 'on first appearance.' Introduced into moral philosophy by W.D. Ross in the 20th century to describe moral duties that are initially binding but can conflict.
Prima facie duties are like default settings in morality—they're your first moral impulse, but sometimes you need to override them when they conflict. It's why 'don't lie' seems obvious until you're hiding refugees from Nazis.
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