Commitment or obligation to someone or something or to perform an action on the behalf of
This article is about the ethical concept. For other uses, see Duty (disambiguation).
"Duty" by Edmund Leighton
A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; Old French: deu, did, past participle of devoir; Latin: debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may arise from a system of ethics or morality, especially in an honor culture. Many duties are created by law, sometimes including a codified punishment or liability for non-performance. Performing one's duty may require some sacrifice of self-interest.
A sense-of-duty is also a virtue or personality trait that characterizes someone who is diligent about fulfilling individual duties or who confidently knows their calling. A sense-of-duty can also come from a need to fulfill familial pressures and desires. This is typically seen in a militaristic/patriotic way.[1]
Cicero, an early Roman philosopher who discusses duty in his work “On Duties", suggests that duties can come from four different sources:[2]
as a result of being a human
as a result of one's particular place in life (one's family, one's country, one's job)
as a result of one's character
as a result of one's own moral expectations for oneself
The specific duties imposed by law or culture vary considerably, depending on jurisdiction, religion, and social normalities.
^Spence, Naomi J.; Henderson, Kathryn A.; Elder, Glen H. (2013-09-01). "Does Adolescent Family Structure Predict Military Enlistment? A Comparison of Post-High School Activities". Journal of Family Issues. 34 (9): 1194–1216. doi:10.1177/0192513X12457347. ISSN 0192-513X. PMC 3757947. PMID 24000268.
^Cicero, Marcus T. (1913) [44 BCE]. De Officiis. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
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