Deontology Flashcards
Deontology aka…
non-consequentialist
Deontology: the science of _____.
duty
In deontology, right and wrong do not depend on the ______.
consequences
In deontology, the ____ is more important than the _____.
- right
- good
In deontology, we see human beings as _____ ____ first and foremost instead of …
- rational agents
- benevolent creatures that care about our own and others’ happiness
As rational human beings, we don’t have to follow our _____.
urges
A rational will can follow _____.
principles
We are not _____ rational and our _____ ______ __ _____ can contain impulses and inclinations.
- perfectly
- subjective principles of volition
Why did Kant think we experience our moral duty as a constraint?
- because acting from the correct principle involves going against our inclination
- we want to, but we know we shouldn’t
Kant wanted to develop a _____ _____ that was devoid of all _____ and would therefore be applied to everyone.
- perfect maxim
- inclinations
If you were a perfectly rational creature, we wouldn’t see doing the right thing as a ____.
duty
CI =
categorical imperative
CI 1 gives us…
- duties
- the doer of an action has a duty
CI 2 gives us…
- rights
- the person suffering the action has rights
CI 1 says act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time ____ that it should become a ______ ____.
- will
- universal law
2 tests for CI 1:
- can the maxim be conceived as a universal law?
- can the maxim be willed as a universal law?
We cannot act according to any maxi that …
fails either of the tests for CI 1
Describe the first test for CI 1.
If it is impossible to imagine a world where everyone does x all the time, then you shouldn’t do x either (perfect duty)
Describe the second test for CI 1:
If x is not something you would want to imagine everyone doing or if it is practically impossible, then you shouldn’t either (imperfect duty)
In deontology, your _____ don’t matter.
feelings
Consider cheating in sports with Kant’s moral norms.
- impossible to imagine everyone cheating all the time
- making new rules…who wins?
- can’t universalize it = you cannot cheat
Consider “thou shalt not kill an innocent human” with Kant’s moral norms.
- can imagine this
- would you will/want a world like this? no
- not practically possible (can’t control accidents)
Consider “thous shalt not intentionally kill an innocent human” with Kant’s moral norms.
- takes out accidents
- can imagine this
- can will this
_____ matters when using Kant’s moral norms.
motive
_____ doesn’t matter for utilitarianism.
motive
Agent centred deontology produces 2 types of action:
- prohibited (governed by prohibitions)
- tolerated/permitted (governed by prerogatives)
Constraints are _____ : you cannot have a _____ that violates a constraint (if it fails one or more of the rules).
- primary
- prerogative
Prerogatives:
- an exclusive right or power held by an individual
- permits you to act in ways that do not maximize the good
- to act from reasons stemming from your own personal perspective
Prerogatives can be more or less ____ valuable and are ______/______ but not required.
- morally
- permissible/encouraged
Deontology considers _____ plus _____.
- intentions
- actions
Various combinations of possibilities for euthanasia:
- actively kill them with the intention of killing them
- actively kill them without the intention to kill them
- passively allow them to die with the intention of killing them
- passively allow them to die without the intention of killing them
Active, intended death (thou shalt not actively and intentionally kill innocents) is…
- forbidden
- fails CI 1 because it;s impossible for rational people to want to be murdered
- perfect external duty
Passive, intended death (thou shalt not intentionally allow innocents to die) is…
- tolerated
- passes CI 1 (it’s not logically inconsistent)
- need to have an imperfect external duty to help others
- depends on your prerogatives
Active, death only foreseen (thou shalt not actively unintentionally kill innocents) is….
- tolerated
- if you don’t believe in DoDE, it is forbidden
- if you believe in DoDE, it passes CI 1
- if it is unwillable, you have an imperfect external duty
Passive, death only foreseen (thous shalt not unintentionally allow innocents to die) is…
- tolerated
- if you don’t believe in DoDE, it is the same as passive intended death
- if you believe in DoDE, it passes CI 1
- if it is unwillable, you have an imperfect external duty
Which of the tolerated actions is right according to deontology?
- partly depends on the DoDE
- medication has 2 effects (pain relief, hastening death)
- if the Dr. wants pain relief and there is no other alternative, then death is unavoidable and unwanted
- could be ethical
_______ can be considered once adherence to the CI derived moral norm is achieved.
consequences
Agent-centred deontology critiques:
- selfish
- DoDE
- ultra strict
How is agent-centred deontology selfish?
- morality is personal
- can treat my friends and my family differently than I treat others as long as it is universalizable
Why is DoDE a critique for agent-centred deontology?
If I know what I do will cause death, but I didn’t intend it, why am i not just as guilty?
Strengths of deontology:
- categorical prohibition against certain actions even when good consequences result. Some things are just plain wrong
- we have permission to pursue our own projects free of a constant demand that these projects always maximize utility
DoDE:
- knowing that something negative will happen
- unavoidable consequences
- can ignore it ethically speaking
Examples of Kant’s duties:
- Perfect external duty never to break your promise
- Perfect external duty never to actively kill innocent people
- Perfect internal duty never to commit suicide.
- Imperfect internal duty to cultivate your talents.
- Imperfect external duty to help others in distress.
Perfect duites are _____ and result from failing CI’s ____ test.
- negative (they prohibit or constrain)
- first
Imperfect duties are _____ and result from failing CI’s ____ test.
- positive (they commit you to doing something but not necessarily all the time or in a specific way)
- second
7 imperfect duties:
- fidelity
- reparation
- gratitude
- justice
- beneficence
- self-improvement
- non-maleficence
Fidelity:
duty to fulfill promises, agreements, contracts
Reparation:
duty to make up for past wrongs
Gratitude:
duty to repay others for past benefits conferred
Justice:
- duties of redistribution in accord with merit
- prevent an unjust distribution of benefits or burdens
Beneficence:
duty to assist those in need
Self-improvement:
duty to develop out talents
Non-maleficence:
duty not to harm others
Another critique of agent-centred deontology:
- scholars have argued that the CI1 is not the final formulation for Kant
- the CI2 is what should guide us
- problems in operationalizing CI1 illustrate this.
CI II:
So act that you use humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means
CI II says people are not just things that you can…
use however you wish
CI II says people have _____ ____.
fundamental rights
Different forms of deontology = _____ vs ____.
duties vs rights
Patient centred deontology says that you cannot use someone’s body, labour, or talent without ….
permission for your own benefit
Focus of Patient centred deontology is on …
fundamental rights of people
Patient centred deontology switches focus to the _____.
patient/victim
Consider the organ donor scenario with RU:
- people might be scared to go to hospitals
- not the right thing to do
Consider the organ donor scenario with agent centred deontology:
- can we conceive of a world that can do this?
- imperfect/perfect constraint?
Consider the organ donor scenario with patient-centred deontology:
- did that patient consent?
- if they didn’t you’re using their body for your own means
- you can’t do this
In PCD, perfect duties are not to _____ or _____ someone;s humanity.
- destroy
- impair
In PCD, imperfect duties are to _____ or _____ others’ humanity.
- cultivate
- develop
PCD ____ entail obligations, similarly to ACD, which is why some people say CI1 and CI2 are…
- does
- the same thing
Humanity is our ability to be _____ and ____ and ____ arise from this.
- rational
- duties
- rights
Critiques of ACD and PCD:
killing for no reason at all is not prohibited (Nike problem)
Critiques of PCD:
not helping someone is not required (walk on problem)
How do we ascribe value to various consequences in AU?
focus on actual aggregate wellbeing of people
How do we ascribe value to various consequences in RU?
focus on developing rules to guide society toward overall increase in well-being
How do we ascribe value to various consequences in PU?
figure out what people would prefer to do if given a range of options and maximize those intrinsic self-regarding desires
In ACD, any action that cannot be conceived as universal renders ____ duties.
perfect
In ACD, any action that can be conceived but that we can’t will renders ____ duties and our ____ guide us in how we choose to fulfill these.
- imperfect
- prerogatives
In ACD, any action that can be imagined and that we will could be morally valuable or not. We need …
another framework
PCD says human beings have _____ rights.
inviolable
PCD is based on CI 2, never….
never treat people like means to an end
PCD gives rise to perfect and imperfect duties toward the _____.
patients
