PHI-240 Chap. 6: Deontological Ethics

Deontological Theory

approach to ethics that emphasizes duty

Deontology

theory of duty; Greek word “deon” means “duty”;

Deontological Ethics

focused on duties, obligations, and rights rather than consequences; believes we should fulfill duties & obligations regardless of consequences; described as “the right over the good”; focued on right actions & intentions, while downplaying importance of goods/benefits of actions; focused on what makes us worthy of happiness

How are deontological ethics related to Kant and the Stoics?

they emphasized duty, like deontological ethics does; Kant believed we should focus on what makes us think we deserve happiness rather than what makes us happy; believed in obeying moral law and doing our duty

How did Immanuel Kant view morality?

morality was not the doctrine of how we make ourselves happy, but how we become worthy of happiness; morality was not a doctrine of happiness or set of instructions on how to become happy; morality is the rational condition of happiness; Kant believed there are things we should not do, even if they produce the most happiness for the most ppl; said that morality should be focused on respecting people’s dignity and work;

How has the idea of deontology changed over time?

term coined by Jeremy Bentham, who called it “knowledge of what is right/proper”; he originally meant for theory to go with principle of utility; contemporary philosophers use term deontological to indicate contrast w/utilitarian focus on consequences;

Divine Command Ethics

obedience to God’s command is a duty that must be followed regardless of consequences; ex. biblical story of Abraham & Isaac; problem is we do not know for sure that God has commanded a duty

Stoicism

Stoics emphasized doing one’s duty and playing one’s part as determined by the natural order of things; can only control internal stances, not external; cannot control consequences

Human Rights

respecting human rights helps to define our duties; ex. respecting right to free speech creates duty to respect the right

Immanuel Kant

valued 2 questions: what can I know? and what ought I do?; believed consequences of an act do not give the act moral worth, only the motive; if we value consequences, human being may get used; humans would have a use value that violates the categorical imperative

What is the right motive according to Kant?

one that has good will; the only thing that is intrisically & unconditionally good is good will

The Hypothetical Imperative

an imperative is a form of a statement that tells us something/gives a command (ex. “Close the door”); a hypothetical imperative is an “ought” that is contingent on a want or desire (ex. you ought to donate to charity because you want to feel good about yourself); “If I want X, then I ought to do Y”

Categorial Imperative

Kant’s basic idea of moral law; two formulations: act only on that maxim that you can will as a universal law, and always treat humanity (yourself and others) never just as the means but also as an end

First Form of the Categorical Imperative

act only on that maxim that you can will as a universal law; codifies Kant’s idea of universalizability; you would have everyone commit the act that you are considering committing

Second Form of the Categorical Imperative

always treat humanity (yourself and others) never just as the means but also as an end; people are autonomous (self-ruled); people are free to choose their own life path; we can never use people for ends bc they are free; people are not things

Moral Obligation

real & strictly binding; if there is anything we morally ought to do, we simply must do it

Application of the Categorical Imperative

universalizability does not mean an act is moral; (ex. everyone writes their name on test papers; is universalizable, but not moral); difficult to asses when one is using a person

Duty

Kant’s moral terms seem harsh to us today (ex. duty, law, obligation); for Kant, duty is what reason tells us is the right thing to do; there is a strong sense of absolutism in Kant’s work; absolutism says that morality consists of a set of exceptionless rules

Moral Equality & Impartiality

Kant emphasized moral equality of all persons; moral obligation is universally binding; there are no moral exceptions for ourselves; all persons are rational and autonomous; Kant emphasized samenss through personhood, rather than individual differences; impartiality is being able to will a moral action for every single person, including oneself; Kant’s theory emphasizes impartiality

What were Kant’s views on race & women?

Kant held objectionable views about women & non-White people; rationality, to Kant, was a rare achievement of European men; believed that women were incapable of attaining high moral development

Perfect Duties

absolute; must be done no matter what; ex. keeping promises; the categorical imperative is a perfect duty

Imperfect Duties

not musts; meritorious duties; ex. doctor must heal ppl, as that is their duty, but do not have to feel compassion

W. D. Ross

believed that we have primary facie duties (aka conditional duties); we must perform our duties, like what Kant said; argues that when duties are in conflict, must go with stronger duty

John Rawls

agrees w/Kant that we have natural duties; unlike Kant, suggests there may be conflicts of duty