Deontological TheoryMohd Azri Ibrahim

Deontological Theory

• Derived from the Greek word’ Duty’.

• A person who holds this view believes that to act morally we must have self consciousness in receiving specific constraints or rules which place our limits between self interest and general good.( N. Davis P. Singer 1991)

Deontological Theory

• Believe that wrong action cannot be accepted morally although it bring morally good effect and obligatory.

• They also known as consequentialist.• Rule of deontological theory declares that all

considerations of moral result are specific.• Man’s action whether right or wrong consist of

one or more rules. Such rules are basic and not stem from certain situation.

• Judgment of an individual actions depend on the standard not on pleasure or suffering.

• Action that consistent with the rule is regarded as moral.

• It examines how responsible we are in treating other people and duties towards them.

• Also known as act-oriented approach.• Right or wrong depend on person not the

consequences.• Moral judgment is determined by referring to

general matters, a rule or principles

Principle Of Duty• This principle emphasis that duty for the sake

of duty.(1724-1804).• He has been regarded by some philosopher as

the most important thinker.• Moral obligation does not spring from God or

from community or human authority, but from reasoning.

• According to Onora O’neill: Kant writing is difficult to interpret.

• Kant opposed many metaphysical claim and disagree with the proofs of existence of God.

• Our thinking ought to be from human standpoint anything beyond the transcendent reality is rejected.

• Kant himself insist that claim to knowledge limits to the natural world and we should not expect that things we know about natural world will actually exist.

• Kants claim that human being will only be meaningful if they have free will.

• He claimed that free will and natural causality act at the same time in man’s action.

• Natural causality is the domain of knowledge while human freedom in the domain of morality.

• Identify the universal maxim like ‘what ought to do’ as the basic rule which we should us as a references.

• To judge an action we should observe that the action is inconformity with the universal maxim. We need not to evaluate or anticipate the result before it.

• Fairness and intelligence should exist in performing the action

• The formula for kants moral action is as follows:

• Freedom + Fairness+ Choice= moral action(justice) (refer to maxim)

The Concept Of Goodwill

• Kants ethical principle is according to rational procedures.

• Goodwill is unconditionally good in performing actions.

• Goodwill is not based on good objectives.• Actions that come from desire and interest

will not be good.• Other than goodwill are considered as

conditionally good.

• Good things :mental qualities= intelligence/ smart thinkingnatural gift= bravery/ moderate thinking

Is conditionally good. If it been used for bad action will be bad, i.e. killing/ cheating

Goodwill will bring purity that makes a good action.

Motive for goodwill is the desired to do something to fulfill the duty.

The Principle Of Categorical Imperative

• Moral rule must be followed by everyone without exception.

• A principle must be able to serve various kind of agent.

• Morality begins with rejection of principles that is not universal.

• This is known as categorical imperative or moral law.

• Categorical imperative means command that has no exceptions or conditions. Truth must be free from any internal contraction.

• We need to act correctly so that the maxim of our action parallel with universal law.

• 3 important elements of categorical imperatives:

a. the moral principle must be generally accepted.b. action must be respected by people

and make us of people.

c. the party responsible must be able to be treated the same way if when they in oppressed position.

• Human must be treated as the end and not the means to an end.

• Use the concept of Rousseau on ‘kingdoms of end’ which regards everyone as a legislator and bound by law and each has autonomy on condition that what is legislated is in respect for others.

Criticism on Kant’s Ethics

• a. The charge on the categorical imperative is empty, trivial or merely formal and identifies merely no duty:(Hegel and J.S.Mill).i.e. are principle like ‘steal when you can’ or ‘kill when it is not risky’ universal?

• b. Rigorism z;the rules that introduce are insensitive and rigid. No account for relativism and difference of cases.

• c. Abstraction.vague and full of absurdity to guide actionz;

• Kants maintain that principles have to be abstract because they are side constraints and can only guide.

• d. Conflicting ground of obligation.: No routine procedure when dealing with conflicts and theory is only side constraint.

• e. Place of inclination: kant requires us to act out of sense of duty not our own inclination and we can only know that we act out of duty when inclination is lacking.

• f. No account for wrong-doing: kants only allow free action which is fully autonomous and reflect only natural desires and inclination. wrongful action are actually autonomous they are chosen rather than inflicted mechanically by our desires or inclinations.

Principle of Existentialism

• This principle maintains that good or bad values stem from free choice of the individual i.e. donating to a mosque is a good values if done by one choice and bad value if that act is force.

• This principle was introduce by Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

• He believe that ‘existence precedes essence’

• Ashmore said: ‘essence’ means “what we have become”.

• Sartre idea strongly criticize by communist and christian groups.

• He maintained that existentialism is an exactive and strict doctrine for experets and philosophers only.

• There are 2 stream of existentialism:– a. Christian group- Karl Jasper, Gabriel

Marcell– b. Atheist-Martin Heidegyer and Sartre.

• But both share the same belief that existence precedes essence or subjectivity must be starting point.

• Sartre argued that manufactured object i.e. paper cutter came from a concept and realized in material.

• Since Sartre does not believe in God he claims that man does not has creator and was not form according to certain specification.

• What manwill become it depend on what choice he makes.

• He argues if we accept God as creator than he assumed man’s creation just like manufactures object.

• When dismissing the existence of God Sartre then maintained that everything is permissible. No punishment, no religious value and no objective value.

• Values followed by man are subjective, Individualistic and subject to certain situation

• Person cannot succeed without effort because man is nothing but what he makes of himself.

• Existentialism makes man first to realize what he is and responsible of his existence rest on him

• Subjectivism according Sartre has 2 meanings:a. Individual chooses and makes himselfb. Not possible for man to transcend human subjectivity.

• Men sets their own destined and only choose the best for them besides avoiding the bad.

• Man is nothing less than their own plan.• Sartre feels that moral value are subjective,

changing and not permanent or universal.• Man consciousness allows him to choose an

action freely but the choice will not be permanent.