Deontological Ethics

Question 1

What is deontology?

Answer 1

A normative ethical position which judges the rightness of an action based on its adherence to a rule or set of rules.

Question 2

Name some deontological moral philosophers.

Answer 2

Kant, W.D. Ross, Rawls and Nagel

Question 3

Why is Kant’s position considered a deontological one?

Answer 3

He argued that the right action was the one which was in accord with one’s duty and that the consequences of the action did not make it right or wrong.

Question 4

For Kant, from what principle did all duties derive?

Answer 4

From the categorical imperative

Question 5

What, for Kant, is the categorical imperative?

Answer 5

An instruction or command about what to do which was not dependent on the person having certain wishes or desires but is an unconditional requirement in all circumstances.

Question 6

What, for Kant, is a hypothetical imperative?

Answer 6

An instruction or command about what to do which was dependent on the person having certain wishes or desires e.g. I must work hard if I want to get good grades

Question 7

What was Kant’s first formulation of the categorical imperative?

Answer 7

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.

Question 8

What was Kant’s second formulation of the categorical imperative?

Answer 8

Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.

Question 9

How did Kant derive his second formulation of the categorical imperative?

Answer 9

To treat a person as a means to a some other end is to deny that the autonomous will is the one and only source of moral action. If an autonomous will is the one and only sources of moral action, then it cannot be treated as a means to some other end.

Question 10

What types of action are proscribed by virtue of Kant’s second formulation of the categorical imperative?

Answer 10

Any actions which denies the status of a person, such as slavery. It also says it is wrong to kill one person in order to save others (e.g. in the trolley problem), as this would be using the one person as a means to an end.

Question 11

What does Kant’s first formulation of the categorical imperative mean?

Answer 11

You are not allowed to do anything yourself that you would not be willing to allow everyone else to do as well

Question 12

For Kant, why should morality be based on categorical imperatives?

Answer 12

because morality if it is to have any force (i.e. we cannot argue that it does not apply to us), cannot be dependent on your desires or situation

Question 13

On what basis does Kant argue that the categorical imperatives test whether an action follows what our duty is?

Answer 13

The categorical imperative is an expression of universalsable rationality and will – and the good will is the only thing that can be good in and of itself.

Question 14

What was Kant’s third formulation of the categorical imperative?

Answer 14

Every rational being must so act as if he were through his maxim always a legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends.

Question 15

What did Kant mean by the kingdom of ends?

Answer 15

It is a hypothetical (i.e. an imagined world which Kant felt was theoretically possible if we all followed the categorical imperatives) world in which all human beings are treated as ends in themselves, rather than means to ends for other people.

Question 16

What does Kant say about the role of sentiment?

Answer 16

That it cannot be the basis on which morality is founded as leads to hypothetical or situational imperatives.

Question 17

What, for Kant, is the difference between perfect and imperfect duties?

Answer 17

Perfect duties consist of things that people must constantly be doing throughout their daily lives (e.g. to not lie, to not commit suicide). Imperfect duties are those duties that, while not required of people at all times, are deserving of admiration (e.g. giving money to a charity)

Question 18

Why for Kant is it wrong to commit suicide when you are miserable?

Answer 18

It fails to pass the first and second formulations of the categorical imperatives: you cannot will that everyone should commit suicide when they are miserable because everyone gets miserable at some point, so everyone would commit suicide, so there would be no one to will that everyone should commit suicide (i.e. it is logically incoherent and so not universalisable).
In addition you are using yourself as a means to an end. Kant argued that people should try to improve themselves rather than destroying themselves.

Question 19

What does Kant say about happiness and doing things to make yourself happy?

Answer 19

Kant argued happiness is a good thing and that there is nothing wrong with doing something which has the consequence that you are happy (e.g. eating an ice cream) AS LONG AS it does not contradict what is your duty (e.g. to keep healthy). He argued that there are many action which we do which are morally neutral in that they do not contradict our duty and are therefore permissible. It is only actions which are in line with our duty which are morally good and actions which contradict our duty which are morally wrong.
Kant also argued that you can get pleasure from doing your duty AS LONG AS the reason you are doing your duty is that it is your duty, not to derive pleasure from your actions.

Question 20

What, for Kant, is the difference between intrinsic worth and instrumental worth?

Answer 20

Intrinsic worth is assigned to things which have value in their own right and not because they are useful to achieve something else. Instrumental worth is assigned to things which have value because they are useful to achieve something else.

Question 21

What, for Kant, is the summum bonum?

Answer 21

It is the place where our happiness and our virtue (good actions through doing our duty) come together. This may not be a place we can obtain on earth , where we see good people living unpy lives and bad people leafing happy lives. So, Kant, argued, it must therefore be a place we can obtain in an afterlife.

Question 22

What, for Kant, has intrinsic value?

Answer 22

Humans have intrinsic worth, they are valuable in themselves and not because they are useful for achieving something else. This differs from a consequentialism approach which sees all value in terms of bringing about something else i.e. the optimum consequences.

Question 23

On what grounds did Kant argue that the summum bonum must be achievable?

Answer 23

If we ought to do something, then we can do it, because ought implies can. If we are to do our duty then we must be able to be rewarded for our actions. So there must be a reward for doing your duty and living the virtuous life, this is the summum bonum (the highest good),