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DEONTOLOGICAL THEORIES
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Deon in Greek means duty
Deontology is the science of dutyIt is not because of their consequences, butbecause we have a duty not to do badDeontological theory denies that
consequences are relevant to determiningwhat we ought to doThey hold that certain actions are right notbecause of some benefit but because of the
nature of these actions or the rules fromwhich they followNon-consequentalist reasoning in ethicsinclude argument based on principles suchas the golden rule
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KANTIANISMImmanuel Kant (1724-1804)proposed theethic of Duty
This is in many ways diametrically oppositeto Benthams Utilitarianism
For Bentham happiness
Kant goodwill
An action is morally right, only if the person
performing it is motivated by a good will.
The possession of such a will, makes theaction right
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All actions are performed in accordance with someunderlying maxim or principle
Kant's ethics are founded on his view of rationalityas the ultimate good and his belief that all peopleare fundamentally rational beings
This led to the most important part of Kant's ethics,
the formulation of the Categorical Imperative,which is the criterion for whether a maxim is goodor bad
The Formulation Rule of Kantianism:Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the
same time will that it would become a universal law.Act so that you always treat others as an end, and neveras a means to an end only.
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A good will means the action done forreasons of principle from a sense of
duty
Neither self interest nor kindness,loyalty, sympathy or any other laudable
sentiment, should be the motiveThey do not constitute a specificallymoral motivation for acting
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How do we now as to when an act is
done from a sense of duty?Kant says it is done in accordance withCategorical imperative or Law of
MoralityHe meant that this framework should beapplied to every moral issue regardlessof
Who is involved
Who profits
Who is harmed by the principles once they
have been implemented
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DUTIESFidelity
To keep promises (implicit & explicit)To tell the truth
ReparationTo compensate people for injury, wrongfully inflicted upon them
Gratitude
To return favour that others to for usJustice
To ensure that goods are distributed according to people, meritsor demerits
Beneficience
To do whatever we can to improve the condition of othersSelf improvementTo improve our own condition with respect of virtue andintelligence
Non malificence
To avoid injury to others
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NATURAL LAWEthics of Rights and Justice Natural LawNatural law theory was traditionally aboutprotecting people from unjust or tyrannicalactions by governments
The natural law was declaring that therewere things they had a right to such as
LifeLiberty
PropertyThese were proclaimed as natural rightsbestowed on people by natural law
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Puts forward the existence of a law whose content isset by nature and that, therefore has validity
everywhereSocrates and his philosophic heirs, Plato and Aristotle,put forward the existence of natural justice or naturalright
John Locke (1632-1714) conceptualised the notion ofnatural rights or moral claims that humans wereentitled to
Among the most important rights conceived areRight to life
Right to freedomRight to property
Aristotle is often said to be the father of natural law
Aristotle notes that, aside from the "particular" lawsthat each people has set up for itself, there is a"common" law that is according to nature
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The phrase natural lawis opposed to the
positive law (which is man-made) of a givenpolitical community, society, or nation-state
Natural law theories have exercised aprofound influence on the development of
English Common LawThe rise of natural law as a universal systemcoincided with the rise of large empires andkingdoms in the Greek world
Stoics emphasized the universal ideas ofindividual worth, moral duty, and universalbrotherhood
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In terms of ethical theory, we could definerights along the following lines:
Natural rights are certain basic, important,unalienable entitlements that should berespected and protected in every single action
These rights typically result in the duty ofothers to respect them
Since the rights of one person can result in acorresponding duty for other persons to
respect, protect, or facilitateRights and duties are therefore, usually seenas two sides of the same coin
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The notion of rights is based on the claim onhuman nature that rests mostly on
philosophical approach and backed up bycertain religious views
Natural rights or human rights are based on a
consensus of all human beings about thenature of human dignity
Because of its simple and plausible viewpoint the rights approach has been very powerful
throughout history and has substantiallyshaped the constitution of many modernstates