final deontology

7/30/2019 Final Deontology

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Deontologyor

Duty based Ethics


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Classification of Ethical Theories


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DeontologyDuty Based Ethics

The word 'deontological' comes from the Greekword deonto, which means 'duty'.

Deontological (duty-based) ethics are concerned

with what people do, not with the consequences of

their actions.

Do the right thing.Do it because it's the right thing to do.

Don't do wrong things.

Avoid them because they are wrong.


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Deontology

Under this form of ethics you can't justifyan action by showing that it producedgood consequences, which is why it'ssometimes called 'non-Consequentialist'.

Duty-based ethics teaches that someacts are right or wrong because of the

sorts of things they are, and people havea duty to act accordingly, regardless ofthe good or bad consequences that maybe produced.


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The deontological theory states thatpeople should adhere to theirobligations and duties when analyzing

an ethical dilemma.

This means that a person will follow

his or her obligations to anotherindividual or society becauseupholding one's duty is what is

considered ethically correct.


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For instance, a deontologist willalways keep his promises to a friendand will follow the law. A person who

follows this theory will produce veryconsistent decisions since they will bebased on the individual's set duties.


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Deontologists who exceed their dutiesand obligations, which is called"supererogation" .

For example, if a person hijacked a trainfull of students and stated that oneperson would have to die in order for the

rest to live, the person who volunteers todie is exceeding his or her duty to theother students and performs an act ofsupererogation.


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Moral Rules

Deontologists live in a universe ofmoral rules, such as:

It is wrong to kill innocent people

It is wrong to steal

It is wrong to tell lies

It is right to keep promises


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Someone who follows Duty-based ethicsshould do the right thing, even if thatproduces more harm (or less good) than

doing the wrong thing.

People have a duty to do the right thing,even if it produces a bad result.


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Deontological PhilosophiesThere are numerous formulations of deontological ethics :-

Contemporary deontologyPrinciple of Permissible Harm

Contemporary deontologists include Thomas Nagel, ThomasScanlon, Roger Scruton and Frances Kamm.

The Principle states that one may harm in order to save more ifand only if the harm is an effect or an aspect of the greater gooditself.

For instance, Kamm argues that we believe it would beimpermissible to kill one person to harvest his organs in order tosave the lives of five others

Yet, we think it is morally permissible to divert a runaway trolley thatwould otherwise kill five innocent and immobile people onto a side track


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Divine command theory

Although not all Deontologists arereligious, some believe in The 'DivineCommand Theory.

The Divine Command Theory' is acluster of related theories that state

that an action is right if God hasdecreed that it is right.


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Divine Command Theory

The Divine Command Theory is a formof deontology because, according to it,the rightness of any action dependsupon that action being performed

because it is a duty, not because of anygood consequences arising from thataction.

If God commands not to covet aneighbor's goods, this theory holds that itwould be immoral to do so, even ifcoveting provides the beneficial outcomeof a drive to succeed or do well.


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Kantianism

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)was arguably one of thegreatest philosophers of alltime.

Kant thought that it waspossible to develop aconsistent moral system byusing reason.

He was of the view that only anaction done for 'a good will'was a right action, regardlessof the consequences.

K ti i


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Kantianism

Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant's theory of ethics isconsidered deontological for severaldifferent reasons.

First, Kant argues that to act in the morallyright way, people must act from duty.

Second, Kant argued that it was not the

consequences of actions that make themright or wrong but the motives of theperson who carries out the action.

Kant then argues that those things that areusually thought to be good, such

as intelligence, perseverance andpleasure, fail to be either intrinsically goodor good without qualification.

So, for example, the philosopher Kantthought that it would be wrong to tell a lie in

order to save a friend from a murderer.


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Kant's Categorical Imperative

The categorical imperative comes in two versionswhich each emphasize different aspects of thecategorical imperative

1. Moral rules must be universalsable

Always act in such a way that you would bewilling for it to become a general law thateveryone else should do the same in the samesituation.

It means that one can't claim that something is avalid moral rule and make an exception to it formyself and my family and friends.

M l l t t h


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Moral rules must respect human

beings

The second version of the categoricalimperative reflects this by emphasizing theimportance of treating people properly. It alsoacknowledges the relevance of intention in

morality.

Kant is saying that people should always betreated as valuable - as an end in themselves

- and should not just be used in order toachieve something else. They should not betricked, manipulated or bullied into doingthings.


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Here are three examples of treatingpeople as means and not ends:

treating a person as if they were an

inanimate object coercing a person to get what you

want

deceiving a person to get what youwant


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The importance of duty

Do the right thing for the right reason,because it is the right thing to do.

If we do something because we know it'sour duty, and if duty is the key element inour decision to act, then we have actedrightly, even if we wanted to do the act or

were too scared not to do it, or whatever.


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Deontologist v/sConsequentalists If we compare Deontologists with

Consequentialists we can see thatConsequentialists begin by

considering what things are good, andidentify 'right' actions as the ones thatproduce the maximum of those good

things.


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Business Ethics: A Theory-BasedDebate

It was recently reported that GeneralElectric, America's largest corporation,earned global profits of $14.2 billion in

2010.

It was also reported that, thanks to

some innovative accounting and theworld's best team of corporate taxlawyers, GE paid nothing in taxes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/business/economy/25tax.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=corporate%20taxes&st=csehttp://www.ge.com/http://www.ge.com/http://www.ge.com/http://www.ge.com/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/business/economy/25tax.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=corporate%20taxes&st=cse


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GE cannot consistently will that othersdo as they do - avoid taxes - if this is theresult, so in this case, GE is acting

unethically.

If we consider their maxim as

"benefit shareholders at all costs," it isentirely possible for GE to will thisconsistently in a free market society.

In this case, GE is acting ethically!


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In this case, when GE reduces its taxexpenses, it can afford to pay higherstock dividends to its millions of

shareholders.

Yet had GE paid its taxes, the

government could have used therevenue for public goods, like roadsand schools.


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The utilitarian calculus favors thesmall good enjoyed by many people(roads and schools) over the slightly

larger good enjoyed by few (dividendsfor shareholders).

Therefore, according to utilitarianism,General Electric is acting unethically.


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Lack of Clear Guidance -Deontology

One weakness of this theory is thatthere is no rationale or logical basis fordeciding an individual's duties.

Deontology is not concerned with thewelfare of others.

For instance, if the deontologist whomust be on time to meetings isrunning late, how is he supposed to

drive?


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This scenario of conflicting obligationsdoes not lead us to a clear ethicallycorrect resolution nor does it protect thewelfare of others from the deontologist's

decision.

A big disadvantage is that a deontologist

may not violate a duty to prevent severalviolations caused by other people, andthis is often called the "paradox ofdeontological constraints"


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Robert Nozickargued that because it islogical to attempt to minimize violationsof rights, deontological ethics istherefore incoherent becausedeontologists constrain themselves fromprohibiting such attempts. He citesthe trolley problem as an example of

how deontological ethics is immoral.

Jeremy Bentham criticized deontologyon the grounds that it is a subjectiveo inion.


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Shelly Kagan argues that underdeontology, individuals are boundby constraints (such as the requirement

not to murder), but are alsogiven options (such as the right not togive money to charity, if they do not

wish to).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelly_Kaganhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelly_Kaganhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelly_Kagan


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A good example was presented byProfessor Turner, where adeontologist would not kill Hitler

knowing the man would beresponsible for killing millions of otherpeople.

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