Kant's Deontology Analysis

Deontology considers an action to be right iff it is in accordance with a moral rule or principle. A deontological moral rule is one that (i) is laid on us by god, (ii) is required by natural law, (iii) is laid on us by reason, (iiii) is required by nationality, (iiiii) would command universal rational acceptance, and (iiiiii) would be the object of choice of all rational beings (Hursthouse, Virtue Theory and Abortion, 224). This provides the link between right action, moral rule, and rationality. The deontologist Don Marquis would respond to the utilitarian argument by suggesting that the consequences of abortion are irrelevant because abortion violates a fundamental and unconditional duty.

Overall, deontology is based upon not just by following universal rules or performing what is ought to do, but by respecting human beings as rational beings as well. Deontology judges the ethical motive of an action not by its consequences, merely by the reasoning behind it.

For instance, if a person were to ask me if his car was nice but I thought it was junk, Kant would disregard his feelings because telling him the truth is more important. Therefore, it is okay to perform illegal or unethical actions because morality and loyalty are more important. The problem would then arise: “What if everyone did this? What if everyone acted on impulse and did whatever they wanted? There would be no need for moral choices and

Deontology is an ethical position that examines the morality of an action based on the action’s adherence to rule or rules. Many times is described as obligation or rule based ethics (Alexander). Therefore, the only actions that are considered moral are those that are performed solely for one’s duty to the moral law rather than one’s desire. Deontology is the school of thought that Kant comes from. Immanuel Kant was a critical figure in philosophy in the modern age. His work was the foundation of the most famous form of Deontology.

This means that a person would do something they are not necessarily interested in but they would do it to accomplish something else. You gave us a wonderful example when you told the story about the twenty-one year old at the party. The people at the party didn’t exactly like this man but because he was able to get them alcohol they let him stay. This boils down to treating people as if they are a meaningful part of society and not just to accomplish a meaningless goal. People are meant to be treated like equals. With this particular aspect of Kant’s view we are able to see where our rights come from. In this theory every human is treated as an equal so theoretically everyone will have the same

Deontological theory was founded by a German name Immanuel Kant in the 18 century. He was a modern philosopher who emphasizes on duties, that one’s action should be motivated by their responsibilities and sense of duty to morality. Kant theory focuses on a set of fundamental moral duties and respect for the moral law. Kant believes that it is our responsibility to speak the truth, keep promises and pay back debts because it is a moral duty and if you violate such duties you are committing a morally wrong act. He also believes in reparation that one should try to undo or repair any damage that one may have cause. He focuses on gratitude, that one should always show appreciation to others for their kindness, justice to be fair,

Kant believes that the someone Reason we shouldn’t do bad is because it’s irrational. To Kant being rational is the very thing that makes us human. Rational thought is the one thing that separates us from animals and is our biggest tool of being and existence. That being said, being irrational would be going against the very thing that makes humanity human. That act irrationally in Kant’s eyes would be to act immorally and to act immorally is bad in itself. So as humans our duty to ourselves and the rest of humanity is to act in a rational, moral fashion. We can achieve that by acting in a way that involves what Kant considers universal law, which would be act in way that if everyone else in the world acted in the same fashion the world would be content and a livable place. One example of this is the cutting in line example, that if everyone cut in line then there would be no lines and everywhere you go you would end up just fighting your way to the front and this type of society is unfeasible to will yourself to live there.

This essay will look at the strengths and weaknesses of both of these views, and give insight as to what Christians can learn from them as well as reject. Immanuel Kant and Deontology Identify the strengths and weaknesses of Kant's approach to making moral decisions. What can Christians learn from Kant and what should they reject? According to philosopher Immanuel Kant, a person’s moral obligation or duty

Kant was a deontologist. Kant’s categorical imperative conditions, “never act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law” (Kant, 1785/1993, p. 14). Each action taken by a human is based on a maxim or a rule of action. By the same token, he believed that humans should not act in a manner that cannot be universalized for everyone

To a Deontologists, any choice is right as long as it conforms with a moral norm. In every situation, right takes priority over good. For example, if someone proposed to kill everyone currently living on earth that supported racism, a Deontologist would argue that this world without racism was a bad state of affairs because of the way it was brought about.

Kant’s first proposition is an action has moral worth only if it is done out of duty, such as when someone who has absolutely no interest in donating to the poor does so out of duty. His second proposition is that action has moral worth not because of its aim, but because of the maxim on which it is based, meaning that it would not matter if the intent failed, as long as the principle was good. His third proposition is that duty is the necessity of an action from respect for the law, such as if an individual is in an embarassing spot, they could will the lie, but not will the maxim to lie. Kant argues that everything is secretly done in self benefit, an example can be an individual helping another merely for the fulfilled feeling.

While Kant’s theory may seem “overly optimistic” (Johnson, 2008) now, it was ruled as acceptable and rational behavior then. Kant believed that any moral or ethical decision could be achieved with consistent behavior. While judgment was based on reason, morals were based on rational choices made by human

Deontologists are also be known to be non-consequentialists. Non consequentialists think that consequences do not determine whether actions, rules, or people are moral or immoral. In other words they believe that actions are judged solely on whether they are right or wrong based on some other higher standard of morality (Thiroux and Krasemann 54). So if there is a set standard of morality such as a religious book (i.e The Bible or the

He persuasively unveils imperatives both universal and hypothetical, the elements of unconventional practical reason, and examples of extreme controversy that force people to consider situations from a previously unconsidered moral perspective; however, Kant’s initial moral work is not without its critique: ranging from

Another key strength to the theory is the concentration on motivation. The motive for which an individual acts has more validity then the unknown consequences that lie ahead. According to Kant we are motivated by our duty, and we know that motivation comes from an internal source. Motive provides substance to personal decisions and choices that are made. In order to feel a duty to react or act in a certain manner, an individual uses internal reasoning when making decisions. As moral agents who have the ability to reason Kant’s theory is right on the target. We will consciously make decisions by the things or factors that we are motivated by. I feel that it is safe to say that most people actions are guided by motives whether they are morally correct or not.