wedge principle

The principle that an act is wrong in a specific instance if, when raised to a general level of conduct, it would injure humanity.

wedge principle. The principle that an act is wrong in a specific instance if, when raised to a general level of conduct, it would injure humanity. “[T]here is the familiar argument from the ‘wedge principle,’ which is used to deny the possibility of looking at particular circumstances in applying moral rules.” Glanville Williams, The Sanctity