I completely agree that the
fact that moral patients are incapable of reciprocity does not exempt us from
our moral responsibilities to them. In
fact, as Singer points out, reciprocity is in no way a strong foundation for
morality (43-44). What then would be our
moral responsibility in regards to the severely mentally disabled, or to future
generations? Although there are
certainly cases where they can overlap, morality and reciprocity are really two
different ideas. Perhaps I could reason
that because my friend picked me up from the airport, it would be wrong for me
not to return the favor. However,
picking a friend up at the airport would be the right thing to do regardless of
any need for reciprocity.
