Teleological and Deontological Ethical Systems
Abstract There are similarities and differences in deontological and teleological ethical systems. Each of the ethical systems will be discussed in a compare and contrast so that they are made clear to what they mean. There are seven major ethical systems that are either deontological systems or they are teleological systems.
Teleological and Deontological Ethical Systems
When looking at two separate definitions and trying to tell the differences between the two there will also be similarities that come out. There are differences and similarities between the deontological and teleological ethical systems. Ethical formalism is a deontological ethical system and Utilitarianism is a teleological ethical system. There are five other major ethical systems besides teleological and deontological. Those other five major ethical systems are religion, natural law, the ethics of virtue, the ethics of care and egoism. All the ethical systems will be discussed and examples of each will be provided so that a better understanding of each is made. The Deontological ethical system is one that is concerned solely with the inherent nature of the act being judged and Teleological ethical system is where the consequences of an act is judged (Wadsworth 2005). Both of these ethical systems look at an act and the judgment of that act. Let’s say for Deontological there is someone who does something that was intended to be a good deed and the consequences of that deed turned out bad than the act is still looked upon as good. For Teleological, if there was someone who might have done an act that looked bad but the consequences turned out good then the act is looked upon as good. Both Deontological and Teleological have the same outcome when it comes to good acts, but they are just looked at in different ways. A form of the Deontological ethical system is Ethical formalism. Ethical formalism is a
Teleological and Deontological Ethical Systems
When looking at two separate definitions and trying to tell the differences between the two there will also be similarities that come out. There are differences and similarities between the deontological and teleological ethical systems. Ethical formalism is a deontological ethical system and Utilitarianism is a teleological ethical system. There are five other major ethical systems besides teleological and deontological. Those other five major ethical systems are religion, natural law, the ethics of virtue, the ethics of care and egoism. All the ethical systems will be discussed and examples of each will be provided so that a better understanding of each is made. The Deontological ethical system is one that is concerned solely with the inherent nature of the act being judged and Teleological ethical system is where the consequences of an act is judged (Wadsworth 2005). Both of these ethical systems look at an act and the judgment of that act. Let’s say for Deontological there is someone who does something that was intended to be a good deed and the consequences of that deed turned out bad than the act is still looked upon as good. For Teleological, if there was someone who might have done an act that looked bad but the consequences turned out good then the act is looked upon as good. Both Deontological and Teleological have the same outcome when it comes to good acts, but they are just looked at in different ways. A form of the Deontological ethical system is Ethical formalism. Ethical formalism is a
References: Wadsworth. (2005). Ethics in Crime and Justice.Chapter 2"Determining Moral Behavior", retrieved May 29, 2009 from class materials.