ABSTRACT
Donald Davidson famously argues that practical reasons are mental states with causal powers. According to Parfit, "what is normative are certain truths about what we have reasons to want, or will, or do". Parfit acknowledges that the fact that an event would be impersonally good or good for someone can be a reason "to want reason-implying event to occur". The simple consequentialist sees reason strength as a matter only of value. But, of course, there are other possibilities. The strength of our personal and special reasons may exceed whatever contribution the conferral of such benefits would make to the general good. The moral reasons just mentioned fall within two categories: some are associated with promoting the good, and some with special ties. Parfit sees the wrongness of an act as a further independent reason not to perform it - further, that is, to the features of the act that make it wrong.
