ABSTRACT
Moral theories are often rejected on the basis of being too demanding. But what is meant by demandingness is generally left unarticulated. Moral philosophy has the potential to uplift us, to inspire us to live better by portraying ideals of virtue or excellence. In much of the philosophical literature, the notion of demandingness is left at an intuitive level. Singer's arguments have been subjected to intense scrutiny, and have given rise to some of the sharpest moral philosophy of recent decades. Just as the felt burdensomeness and difficulty of complying with a prescription can vary from agent to agent, so it can vary within one agent's life, as temperament and outlook change. Even if it is wrong to dismiss difficulty as independently relevant to what we should treat as morally obligatory, Cohen's arguments for his main claim in this stage of his discussion seem successful.
