--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People talk about the idea of special…" description: "\"People talk about the idea of special relationships, that is, the morality only really binds people who stand in some kind of contractual relationship ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/dale-jamieson-4075_believe_people-talk-about-the-idea-of-special-re_440806.jpg" --- # People talk about the idea of special relationships, that… ![“People talk about the idea of special relationships, that is, the morality only really binds people who stand in some kind of contractual relationship with each other but in fact if you take that seriously as a criteria of when we have a moral relationship then it's hard to see why we would have…” quote by Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/dale-jamieson-4075_believe_people-talk-about-the-idea-of-special-re_440806.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/dale-jamieson-4075_believe_people-talk-about-the-idea-of-special-re_440806.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83c/dale-jamieson-4075_believe_people-talk-about-the-idea-of-special-re_440806.jpg) > “People talk about the idea of special relationships, that is, the morality only really binds people who stand in some kind of contractual relationship with each other but in fact if you take that seriously as a criteria of when we have a moral relationship then it's hard to see why we would have moral obligations to strangers for example or people who live across the sea from us but yet, every decent person believes that we do.” [Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral obligations should not be limited to contractual ties; we feel a duty to strangers despite lack of direct reciprocity. **In simple terms:** We care for others beyond contracts. Key Takeaway Recognize and act on moral duties to all people. Themes ethics global responsibility human solidarity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - community service - global policy - everyday interactions - charitable acts Key Concepts moral philosophy social contract theory altruism Questions to Reflect On - Why do we feel obligations to strangers? - What limits our moral reach? A Different Perspective Balancing personal obligations with universal duties can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-obligation/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) ## Related quotes > [Every day we make our way through a moral forest, along pathways ever branching. Often we get lost. When the array of paths before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/every-day-we-make-our-way-through-a-moral-forest-along-pathways-ever/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [We attempted to try to solve every problem in the world, out of a sense of moral obligations, and attitudes, and our history. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/we-attempted-to-try-to-solve-every-problem-in-the-world-out-of-a/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [“Here we come to the central question of this book: What, precisely, does it mean to say that our sense of morality and justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/here-we-come-to-the-central-question-of-this-book-what-precisely-does/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [We do not think clearly about our moral obligations to animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/we-do-not-think-clearly-about-our-moral-obligations-to-animals/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [We must act now and wake up to our moral obligations. 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I collect things by young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gander/i-have-a-merely-ethical-and-moral-relationship-to-collecting-whereby/) [Ryan Gander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gander/) > [“cannot associate with one another without creating a moral relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/cannot-associate-with-one-another-without-creating-a-moral/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [Special relationships come when we feel something towards someone, wishing the feeling will automatically grow in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/special-relationships-come-when-we-feel-something-towards-someone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The greatest things that have ever happened in this world, had their genesis in the wake of special relationships of rare destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-greatest-things-that-have-ever-happened-in-this-world-had-their/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [The most special relationships, in my experience, are based on a combination of trust and mutual respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kennedy/the-most-special-relationships-in-my-experience-are-based-on-a/) [Charles Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kennedy/) > [“Morality is like the famous fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to cover their genitals after they first sinned. 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