Deontology Flashcards
What is strong non consequentialism?
Who developed the theory
Strong nonconsequentialism: the view that consequences are completely irrelevant to the rightness or wrongness of actions.
Kant’s deontology is a strong nonconsequentialist view
What is deontology
Duty based ethical system
is the normative ethical position that judges the morality of an action based on the action’s adherence to a rule or rules. It is sometimes described as “duty-“ or “obligation-“ or “rule-“ based ethics, because rules “bind you to your duty.”
What defines “the good” in deontology
Kant believes rationality is what is “good” And it is good in and of itself not because of what it brings us
What is Kant’s categorical Imperative?
“I ought never to act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law” (50)
The sense of ‘can’ here is logical.
Immoral acts are acts that would be impossible or unreasonable if everyone were to act similarly.
i.e. Can it be universalized?
What is an alternative formulation to the categorical imperative?
Kant himself believed that the formulation of the CI we have just seen was equivalent with another formulation. Here it is:
“So act as to treat humanity, whether in thine own person or in that of any other, in every case as an end withal, never as means only” (Kant Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals (project Gutenberg edition) p. 30).
i.e. …
One treats another as an end in and of him or her self if he respects in that person the same value and capability to act according to reasons he finds in him or her self (Thomas and Waluchow, 1998, p. 30).
How is Kant’s CI used by autonomous people
The CI is something to be discovered from one’s own laws for themselves. Not something to be imposed. TO be autonomous means acting in accordance with one’s own rationality. (which Kant assumes to be the CI) Autonomy is the duty to act in accordance with reason
Define key term in Kant’s motto
“I ought never to act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law” (50)
Categorical: absolute or not contingent
Imperative: issues a command it is necessary to follow
Maxim: a technical term for a moral rule
Universal law: a technical term for a moral rule that applies to everyone
What does it mean to treat someone as an end?
Other people are valuable not merely insofar as they can serve our purposes; they are also valuable in themselves. They are rational and intrinsically valuable.
NOTE: In relationships people ought to understand and consent to the relationship as a way of ensuring they are being treated as an ends
What does it mean to treat someone as a mere means?
Using someone for your own purposes, as a conduit for personal goal or gain
Deontology vs everyday philosophies?
“Someone who asks ‘But what if everyone acted that way?’ is expressing the basic logic of the categorical imperative” (52)
This is true in the sense that universalizability is a familiar idea in ordinary discourse
But its false inasmuch as deontology only permits us to take into account the possibility or reasonability of everyone acting in some way we’re considering acting
What is the distinction between acting from duty and acting in accordance with duty?
Sometimes what is moral will be the same as what is in one’s own self-interest.
But even in these cases, deontological ethics says we must do the right thing because it’s the right thing, not because it lines up with our self interest at the time.
What is weak non consequentialism
the view that rightness or wrongness depends on, but not only on, the consequences of actions.
Counterexamples to Deontological view
Non exceptionalist view
Children or animals who are not rational? Are they only a means?
Do the right thing though the world should perish
What is ross weak nonconsequentialism
There are lots of independent duties that comprise morality
Each of these is as fundamental as all the rest
Working through moral issues is a matter of figuring out which is most applicable to the particular situation.
Prima Facie Duties
Non-maleficence, fidelity, reparation and gratitude are more important than beneficence.
What kind of moral rule is the CI?
A universal rule?
Kant’s CI is AKA
“The moral law”
Objections / Criticisms of Kant’s Deontology
Not addressing moral conflict. multiple possibilities
Rigidity- “Do the right thing though the world should perish”
