ABSTRACT
This chapter will examine the central position which the principle of individual duty occupies in the realm of religion and ethics. For this purpose, 'religion' will refer to a system of belief in, or worship of, a god or other supernatural being while 'ethics' is referable to non-theologically-based moral principles or rules of conduct. In terms of the former, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism will be briefly considered. As a system of ethics or philosophy, Confucianism will also be analysed in this regard. These religious and ethical systems all share the following features: they uphold and promote the dignity and worth of the human person through their precepts concerning proper conduct; they afftrm a moral responsibility for the welfare of others and they perceive human beings as potential members of a community comprised of those who share certain ideas or explanations about humanity and its destiny.
