Deontological EthicsDeontological EthicsIs saving someone from Is saving someone from drowning a morally drowning a morally praiseworthy act? praiseworthy act?

Do motives play any Do motives play any role in whether an act is role in whether an act is morally praiseworthy?morally praiseworthy?

Deontological EthicsDeontological Ethics

Ethical theory that judges Ethical theory that judges the moral rightness of an the moral rightness of an act in terms of the intrinsic act in terms of the intrinsic moral value of the act itselfmoral value of the act itself

Deontological EthicsDeontological Ethics Immanuel Kant is the most Immanuel Kant is the most

notable proponent of notable proponent of deontological ethicsdeontological ethics

““Nothing can be called Nothing can be called good without good without qualification except the qualification except the good will” good will”

Intentions matterIntentions matter

Kantian EthicsKantian Ethics-- Moral worth of an act is -- Moral worth of an act is

not dependant upon its not dependant upon its consequences consequences

-- An act has moral worth -- An act has moral worth if it is done for the sake if it is done for the sake of the moral lawof the moral law

Kantian EthicsKantian Ethics Hypothetical Imperative – A Hypothetical Imperative – A

rule that tells us what means rule that tells us what means to use to achieve a desires to use to achieve a desires endend

Kantian EthicsKantian Ethics Categorical Imperative - A Categorical Imperative - A

rule that tells us without rule that tells us without qualifications what we qualifications what we should doshould do

What is the moral What is the moral law?law?

The Categorical The Categorical ImperativeImperative

Kantian EthicsKantian EthicsThe Categorical Imperative The Categorical Imperative (Kant’s Unconditional (Kant’s Unconditional Moral Law)Moral Law)

Two VersionsTwo Versions

First VersionFirst Version

““Act only on that Act only on that maxim through maxim through which you can at the which you can at the same time will that it same time will that it should become should become universal law.”universal law.”

Kantian EthicsKantian EthicsFirst VersionFirst Version

* State the maxim (rule) * State the maxim (rule) on the basis of which on the basis of which you are planning to actyou are planning to act

* Formulate the maxim in * Formulate the maxim in terms of a universal lawterms of a universal law

* See if you can rationally * See if you can rationally will that everyone will that everyone follow this universal follow this universal maxim maxim

Kantian EthicsKantian EthicsSecond VersionSecond Version

“ “Act so that you treat humanity, whether Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means always as an end and never as a means only”only”

Kantian EthicsKantian Ethics

Kantian EthicsKantian EthicsSecond VersionSecond Version

This rule states that we This rule states that we must treat people must treat people (including ourselves) as (including ourselves) as ends in themselves, ends in themselves, rather than as things rather than as things with instrumental value with instrumental value to be used for someone to be used for someone else’s purpose.”else’s purpose.”

Kantian EthicsKantian Ethics

What if What if duties duties conflict?conflict?

Natural Law TheoryNatural Law Theory

Right actions are Right actions are those that accord those that accord with the moral with the moral principles that we principles that we can discover in the can discover in the very structure of very structure of nature itself.nature itself.

Natural Law TheoryNatural Law Theory St. Thomas Aquinas St. Thomas Aquinas

((1225-1274) 1225-1274)

--preservation of human --preservation of human lifelife

--avoidance of harm--avoidance of harm --reproduction and care --reproduction and care

of offspringof offspring --the search for truth--the search for truth --the nurturing of social --the nurturing of social

tiesties

Natural LawsNatural Laws Conflicts can be Conflicts can be

resolved by applying the resolved by applying the doctrine of double doctrine of double effect.effect.

Doctrine of Double Doctrine of Double Effect:Effect: Principle that Principle that performing a good performing a good action may be action may be permissible even if it permissible even if it has bad effects, but has bad effects, but performing a bad action performing a bad action for the purpose of for the purpose of achieving good effects achieving good effects is never permissible.is never permissible.

The Doctrine of Double EffectThe Doctrine of Double Effect

More formally, an More formally, an action is permissible if action is permissible if four requirements are four requirements are met:met:

1. The action is inherently 1. The action is inherently either morally good or either morally good or morally neutral.morally neutral.

2. The bad effect is not used 2. The bad effect is not used to produce the good effect.to produce the good effect.

3. The intention must always 3. The intention must always be to bring about the good be to bring about the good effect.effect.

4. The good effect must be at 4. The good effect must be at least as important as the bad least as important as the bad effect.effect.