Deontological Ethics Lecture Notes PDF

Lecture Notes in GE-E- Ethics DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS Ethics Kant’s life and work Immanuel Kant was born in 1724 and dedicated his life to philosophical inquiry. His major works include "Critique of Pure Reason," "Critique...

Lecture Notes in GE-E- Ethics DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS Ethics Kant’s life and work Immanuel Kant was born in 1724 and dedicated his life to philosophical inquiry. His major works include "Critique of Pure Reason," "Critique of Practical Reason," and "Critique of Judgment." 1724 Born in Konigsberg, East Prussia 1746-1755 Worked as a tutor for wealthy families. 1770 Awarded full professorship at the University of Konigsberg. 1785 Published "Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals."1804 Died in Konigsberg. East Prussia. Deontological ethics In deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules, rather than based on the consequences of the action. Kantian ethics For Kant, religion and morality should be kept apart. In order to determine what's right, you have to use your reason. If we subscribe to different religion for morality, then, there would be different sense of morality. Kant took morality very seriously that for him, morality is something that should be precise like a mathematical equation. HYPOTHETICAL IMPERATIVES AND CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVES Hypothetical Imperatives ▪ Imperatives which we must do if we want to satisfy our desires. They are optional since they are based on our desires. ▪ E.g. If Margaret wants to get a high grade, then he should study. Categorical Imperatives ▪ Imperatives which we must do regardless of our desires. ▪ "It doesn't matter whether you want to be moral or not (as morality is not a choice), the moral law is binding on all of us." HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT'S MORAL? By using various formulations, Kant came up with 4 formulations of categorical imperative. 1. UNIVERSALIZABILITY Before doing an act, try to universalize it in order to know if it is morally correct. "Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law" simply means "an act is only permissible if one is willing for the maxim to be a universal law by which everyone acts" Contradiction in conception if a maxim were to be universalized, it ceases to make sense. E.g. Borrowing without returning (if universalized, borrowing will become meaningless as people will not trust people who borrow)  Contradiction in will if a maxim were to be universalized, it leads to a state of affairs that no rational being would desire, even the proponent of that maxim. E.g. stealing, cheating to your partner (if universalized, not everyone will desire it) Go back to deontological ethics as about the act itself, not the consequence of it. 2. HUMANITY AS AN END IN ITSLEF "Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end." 3. FORMULA OF AUTONOMY “Act that your will can regard itself at the same time as making universal law through its maxims." Kant's Formula of Autonomy expresses the idea that an agent is obliged to follow the Categorical Imperative because of their rational will, rather than any outside influence. Kant believed that any moral law motivated by the desire to fulfill some other interest would deny the Categorical Imperative, leading him to argue that the moral law must only arise from a rational will. 4. KINGDOM OF ENDS "A rational being must always regard himself as giving laws either as member or as sovereign in a kingdom of ends which is rendered possible by the freedom of will." Strengths and Weaknesses of Deontological Ethics STRENGTHS Consistency Provides clear guidelines for right and wrong, promoting consistent moral decisions. Respect for Individuals Emphasizes the importance of treating people with respect and dignity. Avoidance of harmful consequences By focusing on intentions rather than consequences, deontology can help prevent actions that might unintentionally harm others. WEAKNESSES Rigid Focusing solely on rules can lead to ignoring the consequences, even when they are clearly harmful Conflicting Duties Situations can arise where moral duties conflict, creating dilemmas (e.g., lying to save a life). Neglect of consequences Deontology can sometimes neglect the importance of consequences, potentially leading to harmful outcomes. Prepared by: Climaco, Johnrey R. Day, Quennie Marie S.