1. LOYALTY AND MORALITY

This introductory chapter explores the relationship between loyalty and morality. Loyalty does not limit faithful adherence to the lawful government but includes faithful adherence to any group of which one is a member. It requires an individual to be willing to make some significant personal sacrifices to avoid causing harm to the group or to prevent or relieve harm suffered by members of the group. Meanwhile, moral ideals encourage preventing and relieving pain and suffering. The disagreement about whether loyalty is compatible with morality involves a disagreement about the kind of impartiality required by morality. Realizing that impartiality must be specified with regard to both group and respect explains how there can be disagreements about whether the impartiality required by morality is always, never, or sometimes incompatible with loyalty.