Supererogatory

It might be morally better to give the money to charity, but such contributions seem supererogatory, that is, above and beyond the call of duty. ❋ Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter (2006)

Christian virtue was conceived, in much greater freedom from self-seeking, as the-simple fruit of faith; and the notion of supererogatory works became impossible in view of the decided recognition, that the life even of the most holy always falls short of moral perfection. ❋ 1819-1870 (1873)

The evangelical tendency which during the time of the universal domination of the Romish church had never entirely disappeared, and which, especially since the appearance of the Waldenses, had been growing more positive in its opposition to the corrupted church, directed its efforts from the very first against the anti-scriptural and arbitrary ordinances of said church, especially against the work-holiness of monastic morality, in order to vindicate the moral freedom of the Christian personality, and also against the sophistical laxity of the more recent period; this tendency insists above all upon faith-born love as the source and essence of all true morality, and rejects the notion of supererogatory merit as arising from the observance of the so-called evangelical counsels. — ❋ 1819-1870 (1873)

I typed it in to the computer and swiftly learned – I can see you smiling up your sleeve – that it is really “supererogatory”. ❋ Jean (2009)

This was supererogatory, for the tracks told their own tale too well. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Carrying a pregnancy to term and enduring the violent crisis of childbirth is a supererogatory act of grace on the part of a woman, not an obligation. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Although adoption is arguably an unnatural arrangement, it is nonetheless widely agreed to be a laudatory, if not supererogatory, service to society. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Legal pardon granted by kings and presidents reflects this tension between the wish to leave some measure of individual discretion in showing mercy to some public figures and the concern for the impartial application of such supererogatory grace. ❋ Unknown (2009)

There are of course many other examples of supererogatory action although the length and nature of the list is dependent on the definition of supererogation we adopt and the view of its value. ❋ Unknown (2009)

They maintain the deontic integrity of the moral system but by that run the risk of losing sight of what makes supererogatory action uniquely meritorious, sometimes praiseworthy, and often touching. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The relative merits and defects in each have to do with the kind of definition of the supererogatory as well as with some fundamental beliefs about the nature of morality and the source of moral value. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Most of those people are utilitarians of one kind or another, so they do not recognize the existence of supererogatory actions. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The optional nature of supererogatory behavior has recently been defended in terms of "position relative consequentialism". ❋ Unknown (2009)

Okay, so most of those people don't know what supererogatory means, but they are committed to a belief system that denies the existence of supererogatory actions. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The conceptual question of what we mean by supererogation and the substantive question of whether there actually are supererogatory acts (and how their normative value can be justified) are inextricably interrelated. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Supererogatory behavior is typically other-regarding: even if there are duties “to oneself” (which many ethical theorists doubt), they cannot be transcended in a supererogatory way. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Forgiveness is a prime example of supererogatory forbearance. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Thomas mentions two distinct sources of merit of supererogatory behavior. ❋ Unknown (2009)