A Philosophical Analysis: Examining the Morality of Breaking Promises

This essay delves into the complex question of whether it is morally acceptable to break a promise. It argues that while promise-keeping is generally considered a virtue, certain circumstances, such as troubled marriages involving domestic violence or uncontrollable events like urgent family illnesses, can justify breaking a promise. The essay contrasts this view with deontological perspectives that emphasize the inherent duty to keep promises, regardless of the consequences. Ultimately, the essay concludes that keeping a promise should not become an unbearable burden, and individuals should not be judged harshly for failing to fulfill promises in exceptional situations, suggesting a nuanced approach to the ethics of promise-breaking. Desklib provides access to this and other student-contributed essays for educational purposes.

Running Head: IT IS MORAL TO BREAK PROMISE
IT IS MORAL TO BREAK PROMISE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1IT IS MORAL TO BREAK PROMISE
Deontology is a Greek word that means the analysis of values and duties are governed
by moral. There are a lot of reasons that have led the philosophers to put a lot of arguments
about the good reasons for keeping the promises made by the individual. There are certain
mechanisms behind the process of keeping a promise that remains largely neglected by
psychology, philosophy and law1. Promise should not be a liability but a commitment that an
individual makes for oneself. This essay tends to argue that it is morally acceptable to break a
promise.
There are a lot of reasons that emphasize on the stand that breaking a promise is moral
in certain cases. It is usually thought that marriages are made in heaven. Despite this, there
are certain cases where the institute of marriage becomes troublesome for both husband and
wife. In such cases it is morally acceptable to break the promise that they have made during
their marriage. As a relationship cannot be built on emotions and promises, but certain
situations like domestic violence compel the individuals to breach such promises2.
Commitments in marriages should be more flexible rather than being one sided. Thus, in such
cases it is morally acceptable to break promise.
The next condition where promise breaking can be rendered morally acceptable is at
the time of an uncontrollable event. At the time of an urgent illness in the family it becomes
difficult for an individual to keep their promise. Such a moment is unintentional and the
people involved in these conditions should not be judged morally. It is also not morally
obligatory to think that breaking a promise is immoral.
However, there are certain conditions that compel individuals to think that breaking of
promises is immoral. Certain individual think that keeping promise is virtue and they should
1 Florian, Ederer, and Alexander Stremitzer. "Moral Institutions of Promise Keeping." (2018).
2 Rosenberg, Anat. "Entanglements: A Study of Liberal Thought in the Promise of
Marriage." Cardozo JL & Gender 20 (2013): 371.

2IT IS MORAL TO BREAK PROMISE
try to keep their promise as much as possible3. Studies reveal that promise keepers’ exhibit a
different cognitive behavior as compared to that of individual who keep their promises4.
There are certain individuals who believe in the non-consequentialist theory of not breaking
the laws that are predefined by the God and hence ultimately believes in the fact that breaking
promises is immoral5.
Therefore, the conclusion that is derived from the essay is that keeping a promise
should not become a burden. It does not become a virtue if someone keeps a promise. The
circumstances to keep the promises is very few and it will be right to conclude that every
individual has no right to fulfill all the promises that are being made by them and thus, there
is no need to craft a remedy after breaching the promises.
References
Calluso, Cinzia, Anne Saulin, Thomas Baumgartner, and Daria Knoch. "Distinct patterns of
cognitive conflict dynamics in promise keepers and promise breakers." Frontiers in
psychology 9 (2018).
3 Tomasello, Michael. "The ultra‐social animal." European journal of social psychology 44,
no. 3 (2014): 187-194.
4 Rosenberg, Anat. "Entanglements: A Study of Liberal Thought in the Promise of
Marriage." Cardozo JL & Gender 20 (2013): 371
5 Kalajtzidis, Ján. "Ethics of social consequences as a contemporary consequentialist theory." Ethics
& Bioethics (in Central Europe) 3, no. 3-4 (2013): 159-171.

3IT IS MORAL TO BREAK PROMISE
Florian, Ederer, and Alexander Stremitzer. "Moral Institutions of Promise Keeping." (2018).
Kalajtzidis, Ján. "Ethics of social consequences as a contemporary consequentialist
theory." Ethics & Bioethics (in Central Europe) 3, no. 3-4 (2013): 159-171.
Rosenberg, Anat. "Entanglements: A Study of Liberal Thought in the Promise of
Marriage." Cardozo JL & Gender 20 (2013): 371
Tomasello, Michael. "The ultra‐social animal." European journal of social psychology 44,
no. 3 (2014): 187-194.