Deontological Ethics

Is saving someone from drowning a morally praiseworthy act? Do motives play any role in whether an act is morally praiseworthy? Deontological Ethics

Deontological Ethics Ethical theory that judges the moral rightness of an act in terms of the intrinsic moral value of the act itself

Immanuel Kant is the most notable proponent of deontological ethics “Nothing can be called good without qualification except the good will” Intentions matter Deontological Ethics

-- Moral worth of an act is not dependant upon its consequences -- An act has moral worth if it is done for the sake of the moral law Kantian Ethics

Hypothetical Imperative – A rule that tells us what means to use to achieve a desires end Kantian Ethics

Categorical Imperative - A rule that tells us without qualifications what we should do What is the moral law? The Categorical Imperative Kantian Ethics

The Categorical Imperative (Kant’s Unconditional Moral Law) Two Versions First Version “Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become universal law.” Kantian Ethics

First Version * State the maxim (rule) on the basis of which you are planning to act * Formulate the maxim in terms of a universal law * See if you can rationally will that everyone follow this universal maxim Kantian Ethics

Kantian Ethics Second Version “Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only”

Kantian Ethics

Second Version This rule states that we must treat people (including ourselves) as ends in themselves, rather than as things with instrumental value to be used for someone else’s purpose.” Kantian Ethics

What if duties conflict? Kantian Ethics

Natural Law Theory • Right actions are those that accord with the moral principles that we can discover in the very structure of nature itself.

Divine Command Theory • A theory asserting that the morally right action is the one that God commands

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) 1. Preservation of life 2. The propagation and education of off spring 3. The pursuit of truth and a peaceful society Natural Law Theory

Natural Laws • Conflicts can be resolved by applying the doctrine of double effect. • Doctrine of Double Effect: Principle that performing a good action may be permissible even if it has bad effects, but performing a bad action for the purpose of achieving good effects is never permissible.

The Doctrine of Double Effect • More formally, an action is permissible if four requirements are met: • 1. The action is inherently either morally good or morally neutral. • 2. The bad effect is not used to produce the good effect. • 3. The intention must always be to bring about the good effect. • 4. The good effect must be at least as important as the bad effect.

Deontological Ethics