DEONTOLOGY

KEY POINTS

• Deontology is an ethical theory that emphasizes the importance of rules, duties and
obligations in determining what is morally right.
• The term Deontology comes from the Greek words “deon” meaning duty and logos
meaning study
• Immanuel Kant is the most prominent deontologist.His ethical theory is based on the
idea that the morality of an action depends on whether it conforms to a rule of duty.
• Central to Kant’s deontology is the concept of the categorical imperative, a universal
moral law that applies to all rational beings and is independent of personal desires.
KEY POINTS

• STRENGTHS OF DEONTOLOGY
• Consistency: Deontology provides a consistent framework for making moral
decisions.
• Respect for individuals: It emphasizes the intrinsic worth of individuals and
their rights, making it strong in arguments for human rights.
KEY POINTS

• CRITICISMS
• Rigidity: Critics argue that deontology can be too rigid, as it doesn’t allow for
exceptions in extraordinary situations.
• Conflict of Duties: Deontologist may struggle with situations where duties
conflict, such as telling the truth versus protecting someone from harm.
KEY CONCEPTS OF DEONTOLOGY
• Duty and obligation: Actions are morally obligatory if they adhere to certain
duties, regardless of the consequences.
• Moral absolutism: Deontologist often hold that certain actions are always
right or wrong, no matter the outcome.
• Intention vs. consequence: The morality of an action is judged by the intention
behind it, not by its consequences.
 KEY CONCEPTS
• Telling the Truth:
• You are a nurse, and a patient asks you if their condition is terminal.
• According to Kant, you have a duty to be honest even though the truth may cause distress. The
duty to tell the truth is paramount.
• Keeping promises:
• You should keep your promise as breaking it would be morally wrong, regardless of how much
you want to attend the event.
• Duty to Save Lives
• You are a firefighter and arrive at a burning building where two people are trapped in
different rooms. You only have time to save one.
• A strict deontologist might say that, you have a duty to save lives, but deontology doesn’t always
provide a clear answer for how to choose between two equally important duties. However,
some deontologists argue that you should act accdg to a pre-existing rule, such as save the most
people possible.
KEY CONCEPTS
• LYING TO PROTECT SOMEONE:
• A murderer comes to your door looking for a person you are hiding. If you
tell the truth, the person will likely to be killed.
• In Deontology, you must tell the truth, regardless of the consequences.
• Respecting Autonomy:
• A patient refuses a life-saving treatment because of their religious beliefs.
You know that without the treatment, they will likely die.
• Respecting the patient’s autonomy is a key duty in deontology. Therefore, you
should respect the patient’s decision, even though it may lead to their death.
• Following the Law
• You are driving and come to a stop sign at an empty intersection late at night.
There is no traffic and it would be safe to go through the intersection without
stopping.
• You should stop at the stop sign because its your duty to obey the law
regardless of the situation or outcome.
• Whistleblowing
• You work for a company that is secretly dumping toxic waste into a river.
Reporting this could cost your job but it is your duty to prevent harm.
• Lying: Suppose you are considering telling a lie to get out of a difficult
situation. According to this principle, you should ask yourself whether it would
be acceptable if everyone lied in similar situations. If everyone lied, trust
would be impossible and communication would break down. Therefore, lying
cannot be a universal law. It is morally wrong to lie.
• That morality is not about the consequences of an action but about whether
the action itself can be justified as a universal moral law. The idea is to act in
a way that respects the moral law as something that should apply to everyone
equally, emphasizing consistency, fairness, and the intrinsic value of ethical
principles.
• In essence, Kant’s quote is a call for ethical consistency and integrity, urging
people to act according to principles that they believe should be applicable
to everyone, thereby ensuring that their actions are morally sound.
• Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy
but how we may make ourselves worth of happiness.
• Kant is stating that the purpose of morality is not to teach us how to achieve
happiness or pleasure. Unlike utilitarianism that focus on maximizing
happiness or well-being. Kant argues that morality should not be concerned
with the pursuit of personal satisfaction or pleasure.
• Kant believes that morality is about making ourselves deserving of happiness
through our actions and character. This means living in a way that aligns with
moral principles, fulfilling our duties, and acting out of a sense of duty rather
than for personal gain.
SCENARIOS

• Patient Confidentiality: A nurse overhears sensitive information about a

patient in a public area. The patient has not given permission to share this
information with others.
• The nurse has a duty to maintain patient confidentiality as a fundamental
principle of nursing ethics
• Informed consent: A patient is about to undergo a procedure and the nurse
is responsible for ensuring that the patient understands the risks and benefits.
• The has a duty to ensure that informed consent is obtained before any
procedure, respecting the patient’s autonomy and right to make informed
decisions. The nurse must provide all necessary information and respect the
patient’s choice, regardless of whether the nurse believes the procedure is in
the patient’s best interest.
• HONORING PATIENT WISHES: A terminally ill patient refuses life-sustaining
treatment based on their personal values. The family requests that the nurse
override the patient’s wishes to continue treatment.
• The nurse has a duty to respect the patient’s autonomy and their expressed
wishes regarding treatment, even if it conflicts with the family’s desires. The
moral obligation is to honor the patient’s decisions as a matter of principle,
regardless of the potential emotional impact on the family.
• Truth-telling: A nurse is aware that a patient’s condition has worsened but the
patient has not been informed yet. The family asks the nurse not to disclose
the full extent of the patient’s condition to avoid causing distress.
• The nurse has a duty to tell the truth to the patient about their condition. Even
if telling the truth might cause distress, the principle of honesty and respect for
the patient’s right to know their health status takes precedence.
• Duty to Provide Care: A nurse is assigned to care for a patient with a
contagious disease, despite the risk of infection to themselves.
• The nurse has a duty to provide care to all patients, regardless of personal
risk. The principle of duty to care and uphold professional obligations
overrides personal concerns as the nurse is bound by ethical and professional
codes to treat all patients with equal respect and attention.
• Responding to Unethical Practices: A nurse witnesses a colleague engaging in
unethical behavior such as neglecting patient care or falsifying records.
• The nurse has a duty to report the unethical behavior to the appropriate
authorities, even if it may lead to conflict with colleagues or professional
repercussions. The principle of upholding ethical standards and protecting
patient welfare guides this action.
FAMOUS QUOTES BY IMMANUEL KANT

• ON DUTY AND MORALITY: Duty is the necessity to act out of reverence for
the law: Moral actions are of sense of duty, not because of their
consequences.
• In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is
guilty of doing so. This quote illustrates the importance on intention and moral
thinking not just outward actions.
• ON HUMAN DIGNITY AND AUTONOMY: So act that you use humanity,
whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same
time as an end, never merely as a means. Never be used as mere tools for
another’s purpose, they must be respected as individuals with their own
inherent worth.
• Two things fill the mind with ever increasing wonder and awe; the starry
heavens above me and the moral law within me. Reflects deep reverence for
both natural world and the moral order, which he saw as universal and
intrinsic to human reason.
• ON FREEDOM AND RATIONALITY: Enlightenment is a man’s emergence
from his self imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s
understanding without guidance from another.
• Nothing in the world – indeed, nothing even beyond the world can possibly be
conceived which could be called good without qualification except a good
will. Underscores on the purity of one’s intentions as the foundation of moral
goodness.
• ON ETHICS AND LAW. Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make
ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness. Kant
distinguishes between happiness and moral worth suggesting that ethical behavior is
about deserving happiness rather than achieving it.
• Live your life as though your every act were to become a universal law.
• Live your life: Kant is addressing the way we conduct ourselves in everyday
situations – our decisions, actions, and intentions.
• As though your every act: This means considering each decision or actin take, no
matter how small or significant.
• Were to become a universal Law: Imagine that the way you choose to act could be
made into a law that everyone else would follow in similar situations. In other words,
your action sets a standard or rule that others would be bound to follow universally.
• Kant is suggesting that before we act, we should ask ourselves, “Would it be
acceptable if everyone in the world acted in the same way in this situation”?