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Deontology [aka Kantianism]

Deontology [aka Kantianism]. Rels 300 / Nurs 330 13 September 2012. Moral Theories. Relativism (Subjectivism) Every culture (every person) has patterns of socially approved behaviours , habits and ideals

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Deontology [aka Kantianism]

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  1. Deontology [aka Kantianism] Rels 300 / Nurs 330 13 September 2012

  2. Moral Theories 300/330 appleby • Relativism (Subjectivism) • Every culture (every person) has patterns of socially approved behaviours, habits and ideals • Actions which conform with cultural norms (or personal beliefs) are regarded as morally good • There is NO ideal culture against which any other culture can be measured or judged • Utilitarianism (Consequentialism) • An act is moral if it results in the greatest amount of happiness (or least amount of harm) for the greatest number of people

  3. DEONTOLOGY 300/330 appleby An act is right if it conforms to a moral rule. It is your duty to do what is right. An act cannot be judged by its consequences. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Kantian deontology is an ethic of respect for persons • for oneself • for others

  4. How do we discern our duties? 300/330 appleby Kant provides a “simple” test to assist people in determining what duty is relevant and what is morally required He calls it the “CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE” • Kant uses 2 formulations of the categorical imperative: • they are the two formal principles which underlie Kant’s deontological theory • specific moral maxims or duties are derived from the formal principles

  5. Categorical Imperative #1 300/330 appleby “ACT ONLY ACCORDING TO THAT MAXIM [principle or rule of conduct] BY WHICH YOU CAN AT THE SAME TIME WILL [intend or desire] THAT IT SHOULD BECOME AUNIVERSAL LAW” You would approve of this rule of conduct being one that every other person would also follow: • Any other person would also come to the same logical decision • Examples: do not lie / treat others fairly / do not cheat There are NO circumstances under which it would be OK to lie or cheat or treat others unfairly

  6. What does “universal” mean? 300/330 appleby • Don’t make exceptions for yourself; • Don’t make exceptions for people that you DO or DON’T like; • Don’t make exceptions in particular contexts or situations. So, do not lie OR always be truthful is an absolute duty for all persons and in all It is not OKto lie if it makes things easier for you, or if someone is sick, or if someone else will get into trouble.

  7. Categorical Imperative #2 300/330 appleby “ACT SO THAT YOU ALWAYS TREAT HUMANITY, WHETHER IN YOUR OWN PERSON OR IN THAT OF ANY OTHER, NEVER SIMPLY AS A MEANS, BUT ALWAYS AT THE SAME TIME, AS AN END.” Also known as the “practical” imperative • do not use people for your own ends (or goals, or purposes, or to get what you want) • respect people as ends in themselves Each and every rational person has an inherent worth and dignity that is equal to that of every other being

  8. RESPECT FOR PERSONS 300/330 appleby The 2 formulations of the categorical imperative provide the foundation for Kantian deontology as an ethic of respect for persons. • Each person is a rational being • We are all capable of making our own decisions, taking responsibility for our own actions, and establishing our own goals and values. • Each person is unique, irreplaceable, and deserves respect. • Respect yourself and all others as persons of worth and dignity

  9. A person with a GOOD WILL . . . 300/330 appleby • makes decisions that she holds to be morally worthy • believes that there are no conceivable circumstances in which moral goodness is worth forfeiting for any potentially desirable consequences • makes choices that would be good for any other person and under any sorts of conditions • fulfills moral demands that are unchanged by particular circumstances • fulfills a moral law in her actions • fulfills moral duties that are the same for all persons

  10. The role of REASON 300/330 appleby • Moral rules, laws, obligations and truths may all be discovered by logical reasoning • Human persons are rational, reasoning creatures • Moral truths are objectively and indisputably true for all people and in all circumstances • People with good intentions, and a good will, will all agree on the obligations relating to a particular decision • because the moral duty exists independently of specific persons and circumstances • there is a relevant moral duty that must be fulfilled

  11. MUTUAL RESPECT AND AUTONOMY 300/330 appleby • As rational creatures, each person is free to discover what duty requires for him or her self • People can determine for themselves what they ought to do and are free to act on their own moral obligations and duties • Each individual has the capacity to determine his or her own goals, ends and purposes (because each individual has the rational capacity to do so) • We are all self-determining beings • We are all ends in ourselves • We all deserve respect for our own AUTONOMY

  12. What does this mean in practice? 300/330 appleby • Is it OK for medical students to practice performing pelvic exams on women anesthetized for surgery? Why, or why not? • Is it OK for a surgeon removing a prostate gland to extract sperm for use in artificially inseminating an infertile patient? Why, or why not? • What does it mean to use a person as a means to your own ends? • Can you give an example?

  13. SUMMARY 300/330 appleby • Deontology as a moral theory insists that we have moraldutiesto do certain things because the action is inherentlyright. • Respect is primary. • Differences in contexts, participants, or cultures do not change our duties. • Consequences, whether foreseen or not, do not change our duties or relieve us of them. • You will be a moral person if you reason out for yourself the human moral duty in the situation and fulfill it. • Anyquestions?

  14. Geographic Information Systems Code of Ethics (2003) (example of a deontological code of ethics) 300/330 appleby • Respect Privacy • Protect individual privacy. • Be especially careful with new information discovered about an individual through GIS-based manipulations • Respect Individuals • Encourage individual autonomy. • Avoid undue intrusions into the lives of individuals. • Be truthful when disclosing information about an individual. • Treat all individuals equally, without regard to race, gender, or other personal characteristic. • Be Honest in Representations • State professional qualifications truthfully. • Make honest proposals that allow the work to be completed for the resources requested. • Deliver an hour’s work for an hour’s pay. • Describe products and services fully. • Be forthcoming about any limitations.

  15. Using the format of the previous deontological Code of Ethics: • State 3 or 4 duties that nurses have toward their patients • Explain what is implied in each duty • Articulate the extent or limit of each duty • Provide reasons or examples that you think would be helpful for clarity Design a deontological code of ethicsfor nurses 300/330 appleby

  16. 1st term Groups

  17. Let’s compare… • UTILITARIAN reasoning With • DEONTOLOGICAL reasoning using a specific scenario

  18. Scenario: First Family: A baby boy is born. The whole family is very happy and all members of the family distribute sweets to their neighbors on this occasion. Neighboring Family: A baby girl is born and the whole family seems to be sad. The neighbours come and complain to the mother for giving birth to a baby girl. This hurts the mother acutely and she takes the new born away to a distant place to kill the child. 300/330 appleby

  19. UTILITARIAN thinking: 300/330 appleby

  20. Why would the mother kill the baby girl? 300/330 appleby

  21. What else could she do? What might this lead to? 300/330 appleby

  22. According to utilitarianism . . . • the mother should . . . This is because . . .

  23. DEONTOLOGICAL thinking • ACT ONLY ACCORDING TO THAT MAXIM [principle or rule of conduct] BY WHICH YOU CAN AT THE SAME TIME WILL [intend or desire] THAT IT SHOULD BECOME AUNIVERSAL LAW • ACT SO THAT YOU ALWAYS TREAT HUMANITY, whether in your own person or in that of any other, NEVER SIMPLY AS A MEANS, BUT ALWAYS AT THE SAME TIME, AS AN END.

  24. What is the relevant moral duty? An act is right if it conforms to a moral rule. It is your duty to do what is right. An act cannot be judged by its consequences. Moral truths are objectively and indisputably true for all people and in all circumstances. • Each person is unique, irreplaceable, and deserves respect. • Respect yourself and all others as persons of worth and dignity • Make choices that would be good for any other person, under any sorts of conditions • Fulfill moral demands that are unchanged by particular circumstances • Fulfill a moral law in one’s actions

  25. According to deontology . . . • the mother’s duty is to . . . This is because . . .

  26. Which theory provides the best perspective on this dilemma? Utilitarianism’s strengths: Utilitarianism’s weaknesses: Deontology offers: Deontology neglects:

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