Kant's Duty-Based Ethics

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.

In 1788, German philosopher Immanuel Kant propounded the ethical theory of Deontology which is the moral compulsion to act according to the laid down guidelines of a set of maxims despite the result or consequences that such actions may incur in the end. While religious deontology was based on divine decrees, Kantian deontology is based on human reasoning; rationality. Deontology expects that whenever a moral agent makes a decision it should not be under the influence of emotions, human inclinations or even selfish desires but should be based on morals and rationale solely.

“Deontology is a moral theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action just because the action, itself, is inherently right and not through any other sorts of calculations – such as the consequences of the action” (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). In many aspects deontology is contrasted with utilitarianism. Deontology is based upon principle and does not calculate the consequences (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). Deontology attracts those seeking a stronger moral attraction because it refers to commanding rather than commending and commanding is a stronger structure (Boylan, 2009, p. 172). The

Deontology is an ethical theory concerned with duties and rights. The founder of deontological ethics was a German philosopher named Immanuel Kant. Kant’s deontological perspective implies people are sensitive to moral duties that require or prohibit certain behaviors, irrespective of the consequences (Tanner, Medin, & Iliev, 2008). The main focus of deontology is duty: deontology is derived from the Greek word deon, meaning duty. A duty is morally mandated action, for instance, the duty never to lie and always to keep your word. Based on Kant, even when individuals do not want to act on duty they are ethically obligated to do so (Rich, 2008).

Deontology or also know as Deontology ethics is an approach that is taken that determines the goodness and rightness of a specific act or rules and duties that a specific person has to perform. Deontology is the complete opposite of consequentialism. Consequentialism is the where the outcome of an act has a major influence and not the actual act itself. In better words it is what comes after the action that is made and not the action itself. As for deontology an action can be considered right or something acceptable even if the outcome of the action is something bad. A perfect example for deontology would be “ do onto others what you would have them do onto you.” This is just something that

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.

The expression "deontology" is gotten from the Greek word Deon which signifies "restricting obligation" (The Free-Dictionary). This implies the substance of deontological ways to deal with moral speculations is performing obligations for obligations purpose. Kant outlines what he implies by obligations in the accompanying quote: "Obligation is the need of acting from regard for the law" (Kant 88). Kant additionally characterizes moral obligation as a target rule that takes after the guidelines of absolute

Deontology is the ethical view that some actions are morally forbidden or permitted regardless of consequences. One of the most influential deontological philosophers in history is Immanuel Kant who developed the idea of the Categorical Imperative. Kant believed that the only thing of intrinsic moral worth is a good will. Kant says in his work Morality and Rationality “The good will is not good because of what it affects or accomplishes or because of it’s adequacy to achieve some proposed end; it is good only because of it’s willing, i.e., it is good of itself”. A maxim is the generalized rule that characterizes the motives for a person’s actions. For Kant, a will that is good is one that is acting by

Kant firmly believed that the rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on their consequences but on whether or not our duty is fulfilled. Kant believed that the Categorical Imperative was “the supreme principal of morality, and determined what our moral duties are” (Kantian Ethics). The Categorical Imperative is expressed as, “acting only on a maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (“Internet”). A maxim is defined as a rule or principle on which you act. The command basically stated that you are not allowed to do anything that you wouldn’t allow everyone else to do. In other words, one is not able to make an exception of oneself. For example, if one expects others not to steal from one, one is not allowed to steal from anyone else. More precisely, it stated that every maxim one acts on must be one that one is willing to argue that everyone would act on if one was in a similar situation. For instance, if one wants to lie to get something one wants, one would have to be willing to argue that everyone lies to get what he or she wants. This makes the maxim universal.

Moreover, Kant was a proponent of deontological ethics, which states that the responsibilities, obligations, commitments, and ultimately our duties are what guide us down the proper journey, rather than the fear or potential consequences (Desjardins, 2009, p. 35). Converse to utilitarianism, where individuals receive scrutiny for their actions, deontology states that when acting on duty or obligation, consequences are irrelevant (Desjardins, 2009, p.

Imagine going about your day as you usually do, lounging around, talking to your friends, etc., when without warning you are pulled up into the sky, dropped head first into a funnel, and your throat is slit so that you may bleed out and die. That is in essence how the final moments of many of the domesticated animals we raise in captivity for the sole purpose of consumption plays out. The actual ways they’re killed may differ from farm to farm and beast to beast, but that element of shock, surprise, and sudden betrayal by the world is persistent from that analogy to actuality. Not only is that a cruel life to impose on animals or others, but the mass proliferation of industrial meat production and mass consumption of such products is also creating

The Deontological ethics is marked by steadfastness to universal principles—for example, respect for life, fairness, telling the truth, keeping promises—no matter what the consequences (Halbert, Law & Ethics in the Business Environment. pg. 17).

In the late 18th century one of the most influential philosophers by the name of Immanuel Kant introduced the third major ethical philosophy, Deontology. The basis behind Deontology is that people are duty bound to act morally by certain standards despite the outcome. Determining whether a person’s actions are morally right involves look at the intent of the actions. Like other ethic theories, Deontologist applies the golden rule of treating other people the way you would want them to treat you. Deontology can be broken down into three different theories: agent-centered, patient centered, and contractualist. Each branch of Deontology can be traced back in some way to Immanuel Kant. Can Deontology be applied to today’s society?

Leaders are responsible for influencing followers to perform a task, duty, or to be representative of their followers/constituents' wants and needs. In order for a leader to perform their task and duty effectively, they must possess ethics and morals that prized by their followers and that create loyalty among them. Because leaders are supposed to set a strong example of ethical behavior and ethical practices, it is imperative that leadership follow and set morally acceptable behaviors and that leadership conduct itself in a acceptable ethical manner. As such, leadership must conform to certain ethical principles, which Immanuel Kant attempts to define in Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals.

Deontology as promoted by Kant on the other hand denies that the right action is the one that produces the best consequences. It is based on a set of moral rules, and the right action is supposed to be the one that conforms with these rules, whereas certain other types of action are morally forbidden. Deontology seems to appeal to common sense as duties include special obligations to family and