The Partial Coherence of Cicero's De officiis.

This article critically examines Cicero's *De Officiis* (On Duties), focusing on the coexistence of partial and impartial duties within his ethical framework. It challenges Martha Nussbaum's critique that Cicero incoherently separates strict, cosmopolitan duties of justice from flexible, partial duties of material aid, arguing instead that Cicero endorses a "partial coherence" where duties to self, family, and country coexist with universal obligations. Drawing on Richard Kraut's conceptual analysis, the article contends that Cicero's ethics justify privileging certain relationships and communities as beneficial to the common good without contradicting impartial moral principles. The discussion highlights Cicero's nuanced integration of Stoic cosmopolitanism with natural partiality, emphasizing reciprocity and social roles in shaping moral duties.