EECS 690

Deontology28 January 2011

The root of the word ‘deontology’

• The word ‘deontology’ comes from pair of Greek words meaning ‘the study of duties’.

• The core idea of deontological moral theories is accurately represented by the name. Deontology is the study of what moral duties we have, and on what basis we have these duties.

Motivations for Deontology

• A few plausible ideas about morality motivate some to turn to deontological ethical systems:– Sometimes the moral action is not one that

creates the most happiness.– Moral rules should be equally applicable to all.– One should know what is moral before they act,

not after; that is, people should not be subject to moral luck.

– Ethics must have some room for reciprocity and universal human rights.

Kant and Deontology

• Deontology is typically synonymous with Kantian Ethics (based on the writing of Immanuel Kant), primarily because Kant did the first really good job of identifying the most relevant features of deontological ethics.

• In this course I would like to avoid some of the particular idiosyncrasies of Kant’s thinking and writing (as his writing is notoriously difficult) in favor of focusing on the general ideas contained therein.

Some Deontological Methods

• Method of Reciprocity: This is the method explained in Feldman’s writing. The basic idea is that you should not behave in a way that you could not want everyone else to behave.

• People as rational beings deserve to have their rationality respected, so never use anyone as a means only.

Notable features of Deontology

• Preserves notions of supererogatory behavior (stuff that is morally praiseworthy, but not morally required)

• Establishes a set of inviolable and universal moral rules (how big or small that set is is a matter of some dispute).

Deontology and Rights

• All ideas of universal and inviolable human rights have a deontological basis.

• This is all the more clear when it is considered that every right comes with a corresponding duty. Consider the following:

Two kinds of rights

Positive rights• These are rights that come

with a corresponding duty of others to do something for the right-holder.

• Examples: Education (others are duty-bound to provide education for you), Due Process, Health Care

Negative rights• These are rights that come

with a duty of others to refrain from doing something to the right-holder.

• Examples: Life (others are duty-bound not to kill you), Property, Various Freedoms