DEONTOLOGY

“DUTY” ETHICSIMMANUEL KANT1724-1804

MORAL LAWS

• UNIVERSALLY BINDING• ARISE FROM THE COMMON

NATURE SHARED BY ALL HUMANS– STRUCTURES OF THOUGHT

• SUBJECTIVE DIMENSION

MORAL WORTH

• FROM THE GOOD WILL• ACT ACCORDING TO REASON• ACT OUT OF A SENSE OF DUTY• ACT OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE

LAW

IMPERATIVES

• CATEGORICAL– UNIVERSAL– SENSE OF DUTY– RESPECT FOR MORAL LAW– MAXIM BECOMES A UNIVERSAL LAW– FORMULATE THE MORAL LAW

• HYPOTHETICAL– CONDITIONAL

FACTORS NOT GIVING MORAL WORTH TO ACTIONS

• CONSEQUENCES• INCLINATIONS• EXTERNAL LAW OR LAWGIVERS• TOO VARIABLE TO PROVIDE A

BASIS FOR UNIVERSAL LAW

AUTONOMY

• GOVERNING ONESELF• GENERATION OF MORAL LAW

– MORAL LEGISLATOR

• OBEDIENCE TO MORAL LAW• CONTRAST WITH HETERONOMY

– GOVERNED BY FACTORS EXTERNAL TO SELF

MAJOR PRINCIPLE

• RESPECT FOR PERSONS• ONE MUST ACT SO AS TO TREAT

EVERY PERSON AS AN END AND NEVER AS A MEANS ONLY

DEONTOLOGY AND PROFESSIONALISM• RESPECT FOR PERSONS A S

AUTONOMOUS --- MORAL LEGISLATORS• ACT OUT OF SENSE OF DUTY

– THE RIGHT THING TO DO

• SELF AS MORAL LEGISLATOR FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS

• AVOID ACTING OUT OF INCLINATION OR BLIND OBEDIENCE