Deontology

Question 1

How do deontological approaches deem actions moral?

Answer 1

Through duty; deonotology is concerned with the nature of an action, not the consequences.

Question 2

What is a “deontological constraint” and how are they typically formulated?

Answer 2

The rules that govern deontological approaches, usually written as negatives. E.g. “Thou shall not kill.”

Question 3

Name two different branches of deontology.

Answer 3

1) Natural moral law.

2) Kantian ethics.

Question 4

What was Kant’s reasoning for morality being inductive a priori?

Answer 4

Religion and morality are independent of each other, but there are objective moral facts that we can know through intuition.

Question 5

What is “moral autonomy” and how does it relate to Kant’s views?

Answer 5

Moral autonomy is the rejection of the idea that morality can come from external sources such as the bible. Kant instead argued that morality came from pure reason alone.

Question 6

Where does our desire to act moral stem from?

Answer 6

Our intuitive desire to reach the summum bonum.

Question 7

What is the “Summum bonnum”?

Answer 7

The highest good, Kant describes it as “happiness proportionate to morality.”

Question 8

How can the summum bonum be achieved?

Answer 8

Through following the “good will”, what we know to be good through reason alone.

Question 9

What is a “categorical imperative”?

Answer 9

A universal maxim, a rule that can be applied in all situations and can act a moral foundation to judge all other actions on.

Question 10

How is the good will a categorical imperative?

Answer 10

Only the intention to do good can be applied universally and always be moral. Moral actions like attempting to maximize pleasure can be used for malicious purposes.

Question 11

What does Onora O’neill say to support Kant and what is it in relation to?

Answer 11

“…the Categorical Imperative is the supreme principle of reason.”-Onora O’Neill-About the fact that within Kantian ethics hypothetical reasoning and practical reasoning are the same.

Question 12

What is Kant’s Principle of Universalizability?

Answer 12

People should act in accordance in such a way that that action could be applied in all situations and be just. E.g a person should not lie because if they a world where everyone lied would not be just.

Question 13

What is the “Kingdom of ends”?

Answer 13

A state in which the Formula of humanity is acted upon by all.

Question 14

What is the “Formula of humanity”?

Answer 14

The idea that it is important to treat everyone as an end in themselves, and not just a means to an end.

Question 15

Why does Kant argue that it is important to see humanity as “ends in ourselves”?

Answer 15

Every human has autonomy, there own desires and ability to reason, it is important to respect that.

Question 16

How does W.D. Ross develop upon Kants ideas?

Answer 16

He made it more consequential through his idea of “Prima facie duties”.

Question 17

What are “Prima facie duties”?

Answer 17

Seven factors in deciding whether an action is moral or not. Within themselves they have equal priority but superseded all other bases for decision making.

Question 18

Give 3 examples of Prima facie duties.

Answer 18

1) Fidelity
2) Self improvement.
3) Reparation.

Question 19

How did Kant describe morality?

Answer 19

“Self evident.”

Question 20

How do W.D.Ross’s contributions affect deontology?

Answer 20

They allow for the maintenance of moral absolutism while also allowing a degree of consequentialism. This allows the context of a situation to be assessed when deciding if an action is morally right.

Question 21

What does John Rawls’ “veil of ignorance” argument contribute to the deontological argument?

Answer 21

Rawls agrees that we can know morality through reasoning alone but societal influences and our own lives cloud our moral judgement. The only way for us to act truly in accordance to the good will is to imagine what we would do without prior biases.

Question 22

What is one problem with John Rawls’ “veil of ignorance” argument?

Answer 22

We can not truly separate ourselves from our contexts as they shape who we are and how we think.

Question 23

How does Christine Korsgaard apply Kantian deontology to negatively portray sexual relationships?

Answer 23

Korsgaard claims Kant “gives inarticulate voice” to the view that sexual for pleasure turns people into a means to an end.

Question 24

How could the original arguments of Kant be used to critiques Korsgaard’s developments.

Answer 24

Kant acknowledges that people use each other as a means to an end all the time, though typically it is consensual for all parties involved.

Question 25

Why does Peter Signer criticize Kant?

Answer 25

He dislikes the idea that an action is only just if a person acts “for the sake of duty alone”, claiming that it creates a “closed system” in which people do not question why their actions.

Question 26

How would philosophers such as Bernard Williams and David Hume contest against the idea that within Kantian deontology, theory and practice are the same.

Answer 26

Both would argue that decision making is always personal and that there is always motivation for acting a certain way.

Question 27

State 3 strengths of Kantian ethics.

Answer 27

1) The use of reason as the basis for morality ensures it is universal.
2) Formula of humanity ensures that minority groups are not exploited.
3) Moral objectivity prevents decision making being clouded by personal bias.

Question 28

How does the absolutist nature of deontology act to limit it?

Answer 28

It is unconcerned with the consequences of actions, rejecting the fact that sometimes the actions of people with the best intentions can end up causing disastrous consequences and vice versa.

Question 29

How can the idea of universal moral maxims be criticized?

Answer 29

There are an infinite number potential moral choices, it is unlikely that the same rules can be applied in all situations.