Kant’s Deontological Ethics

The Plan

What is Deontology? Good Wills and Right Actions The Categorical Imperative Examples and Applications

What is “Deontology”?

Deontology: The duty-based approach to morality. The morally right thing to do is whatever it

is your duty to do. Consequences are irrelevant.

Compare these attitudes: “Let justice be done though the heavens

may fall.” “The ends justify the means.” “All’s well that ends well.”

Good Wills and Right Actions

Kant thinks actions can be wrong in two ways. They can be the wrong thing to do. They can be done for the wrong reason.

Three Cases Skeletor tortures Man-E-Faces. He-Man rescues Man-E-Faces so people

will like him. He-Man rescues Man-E-Faces because it

is right.

When is it Moral?

According to Kant, what I do is moral if and only if It is the right thing to do, and I do it because it is right.

But What is the Right Thing to Do?

The Categorical Imperative Formula of the Universal Law

Act only that maxim that you can at the same time will to be a universal law.

Formula of the End in Itself Act always so that you treat humanity, both

in yourself and in others, always as an end and never as a means only.

Formula of the Universal Law

Whatever it is right for me to do is my duty. But morality is the same for everyone. So, whatever it is right for me to do is the same

as what it would be right for anyone to do. So, I should always act in a way that I could will

everyone to act. I shouldn’t make a moral exception for myself. The Golden Rule?

Examples: The Formula of the Universal Law

Making a Promise You Intend to Break Cultivating Your Talents Cheating Your Customers Killing Your Enemies

The Formula of the End in Itself Only rational beings have value in themselves;

everything else is valuable only for their sake. This value demands respect; we should always

acknowledge the value of rational beings as sources of value.

Treating someone “merely as a means” fails to acknowledge their value as a source of value.

So, we should always treat people as ends, never as means only.

Examples

Making a Promise You Intend to Break Cheating on Your Income Tax Cultivating Your Talents Cashing a Check at the Bank

Review

Kant is a deontologist. He thinks duty is the central concept of morality.

Kant believes a person acts morally when she does the right thing because it is right.

According to Kant, the Categorical Imperative tells us the difference between right and wrong. Formula of the Universal Law Formula of the End in Itself