agent-neutral/agent-relative

Agentneutral reasons are those that apply to anyone in a situation, regardless of any special relation-ship to the individuals or other elements involved. By contrast an agent-relative reason would apply to a person only because of such a relation. So, for example anyone should have a reason of general benevolence to help others in distress, but I would have a special reason to help if it is my children who are in distress. A good deal of moral theory concerns the nature of the balance between these two sorts of reasons.