Deontological Ethics

Deontological ethics is the normative ethical position that judges the morality of an action based on the action's adherence to a rule. It is one of those kinds of normative theories regarding which choices are morally required, forbidden, or permitted. Immanuel Kant's theory of ethics is an example of a deontological or duty-based ethics. It judges morality by examining the nature of actions and the will of agents rather than goals achieved. Moral rights identify the specific interests individuals should be entitled to freely pursue. One reason for the shift away from consequences to duties is that, in spite of our best efforts, we cannot control the future. We are praised or blamed for actions within our control, and that includes our willing, not our achieving. This is not to say that Kant did not care about the outcomes of our actions that we all wish for good things. Kant insisted that as far as the moral evaluation of our actions was concerned, consequences did not matter. The core of this approach is known as the categorical imperative. This is a command or recommendation of action that is completely absolute. For example, “you should never lie” or “you should always keep your promises”. It difference with the hypothetical imperative, which is based around certain conditions or desires. An example of this is “you ought to tell the truth if you want people to trust you, or “if you want to be a good person”. Some critics argue that by asking what happens if everyone does what an individual wants that Kant is actually worrying about consequences. Another criticism is that the categorical imperative will not necessarily always alert an individual of what to do because it is possible to have two conflicting duties. Kant’s theory gives the wrong answer when perfect and imperfect duties conflict.