Topic: DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICAL THEORY Contents: A. Historical Origin  Early beginning of human civilization • The word of the king is the law  Deontological Greek word “dein” or “deon” meaning “To be obligated” or simply “duty” B.Kants’ Major Contribution to Deontological Theory  Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) • Avid defender of deontological theory • Contributed as many important and brilliant ideas to the philosophical study of ethics C.The Good Will: The Core of Kant’s Ethics  Morality of an action lies on the inner motive rather than the external effects  Kants’ ethics primarily based on good will  Duty must be done out of pure reverence to the moral law D.Duty over Inclination “A person is only acting morally only when he suppresses his feelings and inclinations and does that which he is obliged to do”  Inclination means doing the things that one’s feels like doing, and thus no obligation exists.  Example: Helping your neighbor to fix her flat tire. • Three possible reasons of helping: 1) Expectation of the reward-immoral 2) Pity-immoral 3) Duty-moral 1 is done out of desire to get a reward and 2 is done out of emotion thus, the acts are considered immoral. On the other hand, 3 is done out of obligation and this makes the act moral. E.Duty is Superior to Happiness “Our duties cannot consist simply in following rules that promote pleasure and avoidance of pain as the utilitarian’s claim, since that would make right actions depend upon consequences, on how well they satisfied our desires”  Example: 1) Lying 2) Breaking promise The above examples are immoral actions not because it can create bad consequences but because these are wrong in itself. F.The Categorical Imperative: The Universalizability Principle “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”  Maxim is a personal and subjective guiding principle  We must universalize our moral judgement G.The Principle of Humanity (Respect for Persons)  Also known as ’Principle of Ends’  Concerns respect for the dignity of persons  Rational beings are ends in themselves  Do not treat others as means H.Autonomy of The Will (Kingdom of Ends) “For without personal autonomy, Morality becomes an impossibility”  Autonomous will The will becomes autonomous when the genuinely moral actions are chosen: • Freely • Rationally • By The Self (Autonomously)  Kingdom of ends It is a moral universe of the moral beings in which: • Respect for Intrinsic Worth • Respect for Value of All Persons is exercised by everyone.

1. DEONTOLOGICAL
ETHICAL THEORY
CHAPTER 5

2. HISTORICAL ORIGIN

3.  Early beginning of human
civilization
• The word of the king
is the law
 Deontological
Greek word “dein” or “deon”
meaning
“To be obligated” or simply
“duty”

4. KANTS’ MAJOR
CONTRIBUTION TO DEONTOLOGICAL
THEORY

5. IMMANUEL
KANT
(1724-1804)
• Avid defender of
deontological theory
• Contributed as many
important and brilliant ideas
to the philosophical study of
ethics

6. THE GOOD WILL
THE CORE OF KANT’S ETHICS

7. • Morality of an action lies on
the inner motive rather than
the external effects
• Kants’ ethics primarily based
on good will
• Duty must be done out of pure
reverence to the moral law

8. DUTY OVER
INCLINATION

9. “A person is only acting morally
only when he suppresses
his feelings and inclinations
and does that
which he is obliged to do”

10. INCLINATION
means doing the things
that one’s feels like
doing, and thus no
obligation exists.

11. EXPECTATION OF THE
REWARD
PITY DUTY
Immo ral
EXAMPLE:
Helping your neighbor to
fix her flat tire
Immo ral Mo ral
Three possible reasons of
helping:

12. DUTY IS SUPERIOR TO
HAPPINESS

13. “Our duties cannot consist simply in
following rules that promote
pleasure and avoidance of pain
as the utilitarian’s claim,
since that would make right actions
depend
upon consequences,
on how well they satisfied our
desires”

14. LYING
EXAMPLE:
BREAKING PROMISES

15. THE CATEGORICAL
IMPERATIVE
THE UNIVERSALIZABILITY
PRINCIPLE

16. “Act only according to that maxim
by which you can
at the same time will that
it should become a universal law”

17. • Maxim is a personal
and subjective guiding
principle
• We must universalize
our moral judgement

18. THE PRINCIPLE OF
HUMANITY
(RESPECT FOR PERSONS)

19. • Also known as ’Principle of
Ends’
• Concerns respect for the
dignity of persons
• Rational beings are ends in
themselves
• Do not treat others as
means

20. AUTONOMY OF THE
WILL
(KINGDOM OF ENDS)

21. “For without personal
autonomy,
Morality
becomes an impossibility”

22. AUTONOMOUS WILL
The will becomes
autonomous when the
genuinely moral actions are
chosen:
 Freely
 Rationally
 By The Self
(Autonomously)

23. It is a moral universe of
the moral beings in which:
 Respect For Intrinsic Worth
 Respect For Value Of All
Persons
is exercised by everyone.
KINGDOM OF ENDS