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Deontologicalethics
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Deontologicalethicsordeontology(fromGreek,deon,"obligation,duty"[1])isthenormativeethical
positionthatjudgesthemoralityofanactionbasedonrules.

Itissometimesdescribedas"duty"or"obligation"or"rule"basedethics,becauserules"bindyoutoyour
duty."[2]Deontologicalethicsiscommonlycontrastedtoconsequentialism,[3]virtueethics,andpragmaticethics.In
thisterminology,actionismoreimportantthantheconsequences.

Thetermdeontologicalwasfirstusedtodescribethecurrent,specialiseddefinitionbyC.D.Broadinhisbook,
FiveTypesofEthicalTheory,whichwaspublishedin1930.[4]OlderusageofthetermgoesbacktoJeremy
Bentham,whocoineditinc.1826tomeanmoregenerally"theknowledgeofwhatisrightandproper".[5]The
moregeneralsenseofthewordisretainedinFrench,especiallyinthetermcodededontologie"ethicalcode",in
thecontextofprofessionalethics.

Contents
1 Terminology
2 Deontologicalphilosophies
2.1 Kantianism
2.2 Moralabsolutism
2.3 Divinecommandtheory
2.4 Contemporarydeontology
3 Seealso
4 Notes
5 References
6 Externallinks

Terminology
Deontologyisthestudyofthatwhichisan"obligationorduty,"andconsequentmoraljudgmentontheactoron
whetherheorshehascomplied.Inphilosophyandreligion,statesBocheski,thereisanimportantdistinction
betweendeonticandepistemicauthority.[6]Atypicalexampleofepistemicauthority,explainsAnnaBroek,is
"therelationofateachertohisstudentsatypicalexampleofdeonticauthorityistherelationbetweenanemployer
andhisemployee."[7]Ateacherhasepistemicauthoritywhenmakingdeclarativesentencesthatthestudent
presumesisreliableknowledgeandappropriatebutfeelsnoobligationtoacceptorobeyincontrast,anemployer
hasdeonticauthorityintheactofissuinganorderthattheemployeeisobligedtoacceptandobeyregardlessofits
reliabilityorappropriateness.[7]

Deontologicalphilosophies
Therearenumerousformulationsofdeontologicalethics.

Kantianism
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ImmanuelKant'stheoryofethicsisconsidereddeontologicalforseveral
differentreasons.[8][9]First,Kantarguesthattoactinthemorallyrightway,
peoplemustactfromduty(deon).[10]Second,Kantarguedthatitwasnot
theconsequencesofactionsthatmakethemrightorwrongbutthemotives
ofthepersonwhocarriesouttheaction.

Kant'sargumentthattoactinthemorallyrightwayonemustactpurely
fromdutybeginswithanargumentthatthehighestgoodmustbebothgood
initselfandgoodwithoutqualification.[11]Somethingis"goodinitself"
whenitisintrinsicallygood,and"goodwithoutqualification",whenthe
additionofthatthingnevermakesasituationethicallyworse.Kantthen
arguesthatthosethingsthatareusuallythoughttobegood,suchas
intelligence,perseveranceandpleasure,failtobeeitherintrinsicallygood
orgoodwithoutqualification.Pleasure,forexample,appearsnottobe
goodwithoutqualification,becausewhenpeopletakepleasureinwatching
someonesuffer,thisseemstomakethesituationethicallyworse.He
concludesthatthereisonlyonethingthatistrulygood:
ImmanuelKant
Nothingintheworldindeednothingevenbeyondtheworld
canpossiblybeconceivedwhichcouldbecalledgood
withoutqualificationexceptagoodwill.[11]

Kantthenarguesthattheconsequencesofanactofwillingcannotbeusedtodeterminethatthepersonhasagood
willgoodconsequencescouldarisebyaccidentfromanactionthatwasmotivatedbyadesiretocauseharmtoan
innocentperson,andbadconsequencescouldarisefromanactionthatwaswellmotivated.Instead,heclaims,a
personhasagoodwillwhenhe'actsoutofrespectforthemorallaw'.[11]People'actoutofrespectforthemoral
law'whentheyactinsomewaybecausetheyhaveadutytodoso.So,theonlythingthatistrulygoodinitselfisa
goodwill,andagoodwillisonlygoodwhenthewillerchoosestodosomethingbecauseitisthatperson'sduty,
i.e.outof"respect"forthelaw.Hedefinesrespectas"theconceptofaworthwhichthwartsmyselflove."[12]

Kant'sthreesignificantformulationsofthecategoricalimperativeare:

Actonlyaccordingtothatmaximbywhichyoucanalsowillthatitwouldbecomeauniversallaw.
Actinsuchawaythatyoualwaystreathumanity,whetherinyourownpersonorinthepersonofanyother,
neversimplyasameans,butalwaysatthesametimeasanend.
Everyrationalbeingmustsoactasifhewerethroughhismaximalwaysalegislatingmemberinauniversal
kingdomofends.

Moralabsolutism

Somedeontologistsaremoralabsolutists,believingthatcertainactionsareabsolutelyrightorwrong,regardlessof
theintentionsbehindthemaswellastheconsequences.ImmanuelKant,forexample,arguedthattheonly
absolutelygoodthingisagoodwill,andsothesingledeterminingfactorofwhetheranactionismorallyrightis
thewill,ormotiveofthepersondoingit.Iftheyareactingonabadmaxim,e.g."Iwilllie",thentheiractionis
wrong,evenifsomegoodconsequencescomeofit.

Divinecommandtheory

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Althoughnotalldeontologistsarereligious,somebelieveinthe'divinecommandtheory'.Thedivinecommand
theoryisaclusterofrelatedtheoriesthatstatethatanactionisrightifGodhasdecreedthatitisright.[13]William
ofOckham,RenDescartesandeighteenthcenturyCalvinistsallacceptedversionsofthismoraltheory,according
toRalphCudworth,astheyallheldthatmoralobligationsarisefromGod'scommands.[14]TheDivineCommand
Theoryisaformofdeontologybecause,accordingtoit,therightnessofanyactiondependsuponthatactionbeing
performedbecauseitisaduty,notbecauseofanygoodconsequencesarisingfromthataction.IfGodcommands
peoplenottoworkonSabbath,thenpeopleactrightlyiftheydonotworkonSabbathbecauseGodhas
commandedthattheydonotdoso.IftheydonotworkonSabbathbecausetheyarelazy,thentheiractionisnot
trulyspeaking"right",eventhoughtheactualphysicalactionperformedisthesame.IfGodcommandsnotto
covetaneighbour'sgoods,thistheoryholdsthatitwouldbeimmoraltodoso,evenifcovetingprovidesthe
beneficialoutcomeofadrivetosucceedordowell.

OnethingthatclearlydistinguishesKantiandeontologismfromdivinecommanddeontologyisthatKantianism
maintainsthatman,asarationalbeing,makesthemorallawuniversal.Whereas,divinecommandmaintainsthat
Godmakesthemorallawuniversal.

Contemporarydeontology

ContemporarydeontologistsincludeThomasNagel,ThomasScanlon,RogerScrutonandFrancesKamm.

FrancesKamm's"PrincipleofPermissibleHarm"isanefforttoderiveadeontologicalconstraintwhichcoheres
withourconsideredcasejudgmentswhilealsorelyingheavilyonKant'scategoricalimperative.[15]ThePrinciple
statesthatonemayharminordertosavemoreifandonlyiftheharmisaneffectoranaspectofthegreatergood
itself.ThisprincipleismeanttoaddresswhatKammfeelsaremostpeople'sconsideredcasejudgments,manyof
whichinvolvedeontologicalintuitions.Forinstance,Kammarguesthatwebelieveitwouldbeimpermissibleto
killonepersontoharvesthisorgansinordertosavethelivesoffiveothers.Yet,wethinkitismorallypermissible
todivertarunawaytrolleythatwouldotherwisekillfiveinnocentandimmobilepeopleontoasidetrackwhere
oneinnocentandimmobilepersonwillbekilled.KammbelievesthePrincipleofPermissibleHarmexplainsthe
moraldifferencebetweentheseandothercases,andmoreimportantlyexpressesaconstrainttellingusexactly
whenwemaynotacttobringaboutgoodendssuchasintheorganharvestingcase.In2007,Kammpublisheda
bookthatpresentsnewtheorythatincorporatesaspectsofher"PrincipleofPermissibleHarm",the"Doctrineof
ProductivePurity".[16]Likethe"PrincipleofPermissibleHarm",the"DoctrineofProductivePurity"isanattempt
toprovideadeontologicalprescriptionfordeterminingthecircumstancesinwhichpeoplearepermittedtoactina
waythatharmsothers.

Attemptshavebeenmadetoreconciledeontologywithvirtuebasedethicsandconsequentialism.IainKing's2008
bookHowtoMakeGoodDecisionsandBeRightAlltheTimeusesquasirealismandamodifiedformof
utilitarianismtodevelopdeontologicalprincipleswhicharecompatiblewithethicsbasedonvirtuesand
consequences.[17]Kingdevelopsahierarchyofprinciplestolinkhismetaethics,whicharemoreinclinedtowards
consequentialism,withthedeontologicalconclusionshepresentsinhisbook.[18]

Seealso
Ruleaccordingtohigherlaw
Deontologicallibertarianism

Notes
1.fromtheverb"bind,tie,fetter",viathepresentparticiplestemdeont+thesuffixlogia,firstusedin1826.

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2.Waller,BruceN.2005.ConsiderEthics:Theory,Readings,andContemporaryIssues.NewYork:PearsonLongman:23.
3.Flew,Antony.1979."Consequentialism".InADictionaryofPhilosophy(2ndEd.).NewYork:StMartins:73.
4.Beauchamp,TomL.1991PhilosophicalEthics:AnIntroductiontoMoralPhilosophy,2ndEd.NewYork:McGrawHill:
171.
5."DeontologyisderivedfromtheGreekwords,(thatwhichisproper)and,knowledgemeaningthe
knowledgeofwhatisrightandproperanditisherespeciallyappliedtothesubjectofmorals,orthatpartofthefieldof
actionwhichisnottheobjectofpubliclegislation.Asanart,itisthedoingwhatisfittobedoneasascience,the
knowingwhatisfittobedoneoneveryoccasion."Deontologyor,Thescienceofmorality:inwhichtheharmonyand
coincidenceofdutyandselfinterest,virtueandfelicity,prudenceandbenevolence,areexplainedandexemplified:from
theMSS.ofJeremyBenthamed.Bowring(1834),p.21(https://archive.org/stream/deontologyorthes01bentuoft#page/21/
mode/2up).
6.JzefBocheski(1965),Analysisofauthority,inTheLogicofReligion,NewYork:NewYorkUniversityPress,ISBN
9780814700501,pages162173
7.AnnaBrozek(2013),Bocheskionauthority(http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs1121201391759),Studiesin
EastEuropeanThought,Volume65,Issue1,pages115133
8.Orend,Brian.2000.WarandInternationalJustice:AKantianPerspective.WestWaterloo,Ontario:WilfridLaurier
UniversityPress:19.
9.Kelly,Eugene.2006.TheBasicsofWesternPhilosophy.GreenwoodPress:160.
10.Kant,Immanuel.1780.Preface.InTheMetaphysicalElementsofEthics.TranslatedbyThomasKingsmillAbbott
11.Kant,Immanuel.1785."FirstSection:TransitionfromtheCommonRationalKnowledgeofMoralstothe
Philosophical",GroundworkoftheMetaphysicofMorals.
12.Kant,Immanuel(1785).ThomasKingsmillAbbott,ed.FundamentalPrinciplesoftheMetaphysicofMorals(10ed.).
ProjectGutenberg.p.23.
13.Wierenga,Edward.1983."ADefensibleDivineCommandTheory".Nos,Vol.17,No.3:387407.
14.Cudworth,Ralph.1731.ATreatiseConcerningEternalandImmutableMorality.Reprintedin1996.SarahHutton(ed.).
Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.
15.Kamm,F.M.1996.Morality,MortalityVol.II:Rights,Duties,andStatus.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress.
16.Kamm,F.M.2007.'Chapter5:TowardtheEssenceofNonconsequentialistConstraintsonHarming.'.InIntricate
Ethics:Rights,Responsibilities,andPermissibleHarm.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.ISBN9780195189698.
17.Vardy,Charlotte(April2012).EthicsMatters.SCMPress.ISBN9780334043911.Retrieved19August2013.The
referenceonpage116ofthisbookstates:InHowtoMakeGoodDecisionsandBeRightAlltheTime:SolvingtheRiddle
ofRightandWrong,London:Continuum2008,IainKingdevelopsaquasiutilitariansystemcompatiblewith
consequence,virtueandactbasedethics.
18.King,Iain(December2008).HowtoMakeGoodDecisionsandBeRightAlltheTime.Continuum.p.245.ISBN9781
847063472.Retrieved19August2013.Page220ofthisbooklistsfourteendeontologicalprinciples,whichitdescribes
as"Thefirstfourteenprinciplesofrightandwrong".

References
Beauchamp,TomL.1991.PhilosophicalEthics:AnIntroductiontoMoralPhilosophy,2ndEd.NewYork:
McGrawHill.
Broad,C.D.1930.FiveTypesofEthicalTheory.NewYork:Harcourt,BraceandCo.
Flew,Antony.1979.'Consequentialism'.InADictionaryofPhilosophy(2ndEd.).NewYork:StMartins.
Kamm,F.M.1996.Morality,MortalityVol.II:Rights,Duties,andStatus.NewYork:OxfordUniversity
Press.
F.M.KammProfessorofPhilosophyHarvardUniversity(2006).IntricateEthicsRights,Responsibilities,
andPermissibleHarmRights,Responsibilities,andPermissibleHarm.OxfordUniversityPress.ISBN019
5345908.
Kant,Immanuel(1964).GroundworkoftheMetaphysicofMorals.HarperandRowPublishers,Inc.
ISBN9780061311598.
Olson,RobertG.1967.'DeontologicalEthics'.PaulEdwards(ed.)TheEncyclopediaofPhilosophy.London:
CollierMacmillan.
W.D.Ross1930.TheRightandtheGood.Oxford:ClarendonPress.
Salzman,ToddA.1995.DeontologyandTeleology:AnInvestigationoftheNormativeDebateinRoman
CatholicMoralTheology.UniversityPress.
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Waller,BruceN.2005.ConsiderEthics:Theory,Readings,andContemporaryIssues.NewYork:Pearson
Longman.
Wierenga,Edward.1983.'ADefensibleDivineCommandTheory'.Nos,17(3):387407.Dumaguetecity.

Externallinks
KantianEthicsSummary(http://www.philosopher.eu/texts/kantsethicssummary/)Aconcisesummaryof
thekeydetailsofKant'sdeontology
FreedomandtheBoundaryofMorals(http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppp/tp4/top08.html),Lecture22from
StephenPalmquist'sbook,TheTreeofPhilosophy(http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppp/tp4/)(fourthedition,
2000).
DeontologyandEthicalEnds(http://myweb.ecu.edu/mccartyr/GW/DeontologyAndEthicalEnds.asp)

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