The position and role of deontology in postmodern society

1. The position and role of deontology in postmodern society Valeriu Capcelea, PhD in Phylosofy, Associated Professor, Republic of Moldova Balti State University „Alecu Russo”, vcapcelea@mail.ru

2. What is the “Deontology” • Deontology presents a sum of behavioral rules for a particular social group that ensures the moral character of determined interactions associated with the professional activity, and on the other, a scientific discipline which investigates the specifics of moral demonstrations in various areas of activities.

3. The Professional Deontology relates to: • Ethical reflection applied to a particular area of human activity which allows a deepear assessment of concrete problems of a certain profession that is presented in the form of specific rules, formulated based on special investigations and substantiations; • A complex of ethical rules, produced by a group of professionsls and especially aimed at guiding their professional practice.

4. The difference between “Professional Deontology” and “Professional Ethics”

5. The “duty” as a fundamental notion of Ethics and Professional Deontology • This is one of most important notion in ethics and especially in professional deontology; • Can be interpreted asa „social necessity” which is represented by moral requirements faced byan individum; • By fulfilling the social responsibility requirements an individuum is transfroming himself in an exponent of certain moral duties in the society, conceptualizing and fulfilling them in his professional activity, as well as applying them in his day-to day activities, demonstratinga full and creative commitment, taking all risks and having, sentimentally, a personal sacrifice.

6. Shortcomings of Deontological Codes in postmodern society (1) • Replace the authonomous moral responsibility with the heteronomic etichs duty; • Too high level of generalization which leads to uniformization of moral individualities that may have a negativ impact on the human beingmoral development.

7. Shortcomings of Deontological Codes in postmodern society (2) • The Codes start from the idea that a human is incapable and that when he/she has freedom he/she should comply voluntarily with proper rules. In this context, the human should be assisted by developing and approving relevant legal acts that would enforce him/her to comply with; • The ethics merges with the law, both being coercible, but they should not be confused as they have different scopes. • The morality cannot be universalized as it is in the case of law, which means that the morality doesn’t strictly belong to rationality, as this abolishes the moral uniformization.

8. Shortcomings of Deontological Codes in postmodern society (3) • The existing Deontological Codes lack delimitation of the area of deontology research as a science or has a false determination of such that presents that is presented as eclectic in nature. • This happens due to fact that the professional groups that are developing the Codes perceive the need for integrating the morality while designing the legal acts, mostly through an intuitive moral platform rather than through a moral basis which is well studied and explained by the science of ethics.

9. Concluding remarks In the postmodern society there is a clear tendency of developing for most of professions specific Deontological Codes, which may have a positive impact on Social Development, although this became a fassion and a goal in itself and can generate also some adverse phenomenons: • The professional acts are viewed mostly from the point of general human rights, through how these rights are imposed to the public; • The strict requirements that exist in the ethichs and the morality are much more supposed than clearly formulated in the Deontological Codes; • It is necessary to prepare new/revise the existing Deontological Codes taking into account the moral principles in a way the people would fill the need to adjusting their professional activities to moral reqirements and not to heteronomic ethics duties.