James Rachel's Deontology: Ethical Theory
Nathan Whittingham
Professor Mariana
Philosophy 120
11 December 2014
Deontology
Deontology is an ethical theory whose name is derived from the Greek word “deon,” meaning duty or obligation. Most ethical theories are concerned with what is right or good, and they often attempt to find this by applying a rule or several rules that seem to fit with outcomes that we most commonly find are "good". Deontology is a non-consequentialist moral theory. While consequentialists, such as a utilitarian, believe the end will always justify the means, a deontologist will assert that the rightness of an action lays in the intent. It is the inherent nature of the act alone that determines its ethical standing. Deontology implies that certain actions are …show more content…
For example, according to James Rachels, “A faithful adherence to the utilitarian standard would require one to give away his or her wealth until they’ve made themselves as poor as the people they’ve been helping” (116). According to utilitarianism, individual happiness and wealth is outweighed by the happiness and wealth, or lack there of, of every citizen in the world. Mr. Rachels continues to say, “The problem is not merely that utilitarianism would require us to give away most of our things. It would also prevent us from carrying on our lives” (117). We all have goals and projects that make our lives meaningful, but an ethic that requires us to promote the general welfare of everyone on Earth would force us to abandon those endeavors. Additionally, Mr. Rachels states, “Utilitarianism disrupts our personal relationships. In practice, none of us are willing to treat everyone truly equally, because that would require giving up our special ties to friends and family” (117). We think of our friends and family as special— not just members of humanity. All of this is inconsistent with impartiality. When one is impartial, he or she misses out on intimacy, love and friendship. Given the problems that utilitarianism faces, it is not a shrewd ethical theory. Now that we have examined deontology’s antithesis, utilitarianism, and have shown it to be a faulty and contradicting ethical theory, we will examine deontology’s doctrine, starting with a few common
Professor Mariana
Philosophy 120
11 December 2014
Deontology
Deontology is an ethical theory whose name is derived from the Greek word “deon,” meaning duty or obligation. Most ethical theories are concerned with what is right or good, and they often attempt to find this by applying a rule or several rules that seem to fit with outcomes that we most commonly find are "good". Deontology is a non-consequentialist moral theory. While consequentialists, such as a utilitarian, believe the end will always justify the means, a deontologist will assert that the rightness of an action lays in the intent. It is the inherent nature of the act alone that determines its ethical standing. Deontology implies that certain actions are …show more content…
For example, according to James Rachels, “A faithful adherence to the utilitarian standard would require one to give away his or her wealth until they’ve made themselves as poor as the people they’ve been helping” (116). According to utilitarianism, individual happiness and wealth is outweighed by the happiness and wealth, or lack there of, of every citizen in the world. Mr. Rachels continues to say, “The problem is not merely that utilitarianism would require us to give away most of our things. It would also prevent us from carrying on our lives” (117). We all have goals and projects that make our lives meaningful, but an ethic that requires us to promote the general welfare of everyone on Earth would force us to abandon those endeavors. Additionally, Mr. Rachels states, “Utilitarianism disrupts our personal relationships. In practice, none of us are willing to treat everyone truly equally, because that would require giving up our special ties to friends and family” (117). We think of our friends and family as special— not just members of humanity. All of this is inconsistent with impartiality. When one is impartial, he or she misses out on intimacy, love and friendship. Given the problems that utilitarianism faces, it is not a shrewd ethical theory. Now that we have examined deontology’s antithesis, utilitarianism, and have shown it to be a faulty and contradicting ethical theory, we will examine deontology’s doctrine, starting with a few common