Deontology: Lesson Plan: Topic
Deontology: Lesson Plan: Topic
Deontology: Lesson Plan: Topic
Deontology: What if Everyone Did That? - Moral and Ethical Philosophy Series |
Academy 4 Social Change
● Philosophy
45 minutes
● Government/Politics
Video link:
https://academy4sc.org/video/deontology-what-if-everyone-did-that/
Materials Needed
Ask students to think if they have any “rules they live by,” such as, “Never cheat on
a test.” Call on students and put their rules on the board in a list.
Deontology: What if Everyone Did That? - Moral and Ethical Philosophy Series |
Academy 4 Social Change
1. Do you think that moral actions can only be done from duty alone?
2. Should consequences of an action be considered when determining its
rightness or wrongness?
3. Can we know the rightness of an action from reason alone?
Activity Ideas
1. Have students read either the Myanmar Amber or American Football and
Head Injuries case studies from the Ethics Unwrapped article on
deontology (https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/deontology),
keeping in mind Kant’s two formulations of the Categorical Imperative.
After they finish reading, split them into small groups to answer the
discussion questions. Finally, come back together as a class and have a
discussion about the case studies and conversations from their small
groups.
2. Split students into small groups and give them a common moral rule such
as “Don’t cheat,” “Don’t lie,” “Don’t steal,” “Don’t be rude,” etc. Ask them to
come up with a scenario in which it seems intuitive and even right to break
this rule, and whether the rule with its new exception could meet the
standards of universalization that Kant outlines.