6 Scrupulous Judgments JESSE S . SUMMERS AND WALTER SINNOTT- ARMSTRONG THE ISSUE Moral agents seem more praiseworthy when they care more about other people and are more careful about what they are morally required to do. We praise agents for paying close attention to moral requirements. Someone who is careful not to deceive others even on small matters seems to have the moral virtue of honesty to a high degree. Conversely, we condemn agents for being thoughtless in morally loaded situations. People who do not even try to remember what they promised to do lack the moral virtue of trustworthiness. Even when we disagree with someone’s particular moral judgments or concerns, there is something admirable about the fact that they are morally concerned. It seems better to try hard to figure out the morally right act, even when one figures incorrectly. It is surprising, then, that some people seem to pay too much attention to moral considerations. Here are two real cases of this phenomenon: Bridget: At a restaurant where Bridget worked as a waitress she had a recurring fear of accidentally poisoning her customers. Accordingly, she checked the containers of cleaning solvents stored in the kitchen cabinets to ensure she did not inadvertently powder the food she served with a lethal garnishing of chemicals. Despite the fact that her position never involved contact with the solvents, making her involvement in such a fatal faux pas a virtual impossibility, she was tormented by the idea and correspondingly checked the containers at almost every order. ( . . . ) Another behavior occurred upon the passing of ambulances. When hearing the sound of ambulance sirens she dropped whatever she was doing, crossed herself several times—sometimes a specific number of times—or looked to the sky. If driving, this often required pulling over to the side of the road either to cross or to pray with clasped hands for the