Utilitarianism and the Categorical Imperative:
This module began with the terms "deontology" and "teleology".
1. Please define both as applicable to philosophy. ( I chose not to do so; you will have to do some
research.)
Deontology: The normative ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on
whether that action itself is right or wrong under the series or rules over the consequences of the
certain action.
Teleology: The explanation of a phenomenon in terms of the purpose it serves rather than of the
cause by which it arises. It is a purpose that is imposed by a human use such as a fork being seen
as irrelevant.
2. Which applies to the philosophies of Bentham, Mill, and Kant? Explain!
Teleology applies to the philosophies of Bentham. This is because Bentham’s utilitarianism
applies to decisions to be made that will help the overall majority without the thought of it being
right or wrong.
Deontology applies to the philosophies of Kant especially. This is because when thinking about
the spelling bee situation and the integrity it took for the young man to report the situation for the
greater good of the tournament is a prime example of what Kant's philosophy is all about. So,
when looking at teleology and seeing that it is about the purpose it serves rather than the cause
that it comes about applies to Kant in a good way. Summing it up to understand that both apply
to an individual's integrity to do what is right no matter what.
At first, I thought that both deontology and teleology could apply to Mill’s philosophies, and in a
way they can. However, it specifically applies to Teleology. As it is known, Mill advocated that if
a man (given a choice) would select higher pleasures over the mundane. In understanding
teleology, that can also be the case when an individual will make the choice in terms of the
purpose they serve (higher pleasures) rather than the cause by which they arise (the mundane)
