Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

GENERAL EDUCATION 7: Ethics

Name: RODRIGUEZ, JANNA MAE B. Course/Year/Block: BPA 2A

UNIT 2: Ethical Theories
Chapter 4: Deontology
COURSE LEARNING  To understand the meaning of Deontolgy;
OUTCOMES  To know the nature of Deontology;
 To identify the different sub-topics under
Deontology; and
 To demonstrate the concept of Deontology.
Reference Evangelista and Mabaquiao, Jr., Ethics: Theories
and Application, 61-87.

1. What is the fundamental difference between the deontological and the

consequentialist theories of moral obligation?
Two of the most important moral speculations are consequentialism and
deontological theories. Regardless, consequentialism is concerned with judging the
ethical worth of the acts' aftereffects, whereas deontological morality is concerned
with making a judgment regarding the behaviors themselves.
The results or aftereffects of activity are the focus of consequentialism.
Utilitarianism is one of the most well-known forms of consequentialism. The focus of
deontological morality is on how actions correspond to specified moral norms. Along
these lines, the action is appraised rather than the activity's consequences.
2. Give and explain at least two criticisms raised against the divine command theory.
The first criticism that divine command theory is the difficulty of
answering the question of how can we come to know God’s will, and they have
different quite ideas of what it is, critics ask whether we should believe that
any one of them has any greater claim to being right or any other. Most
religions emphasize their holy writings as a source of answers, yet it is still debatable
if these actually convey God's intention. Furthermore, few religions claim to have
writings detailing their divinity's will in every possible situation. These gaps typically
involve situations that the editors of ancient rigorous religious scriptures could not
have predicted, such as those involving trend-setting advancements, notably natural
and therapeutic ones. Due to these problems, critics guarantee that no one can be
sure if someone, including oneself, who claims to understand God's will is telling the
truth, or is dishonest, confused, or frenzied (or without a doubt if God has
accordingly adjusted his perspective, however, this chance is precluded by
numerous thoughts of God).
The second criticism that divine command theory is that such theory
leads to moral arbitrariness. To begin with, it may imply that profound quality is a
subjective concept. If the heavenly order hypothesis is correct, ethical excellence is
solely determined by God's will. The Divine Command Theory, according to this
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CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

complaint, assumes that doing wrong is ethically required, but that this is in conflict
with God's command that we do wrong. Along these lines, if God had commanded
humans to be unfeeling and exploitative, rather than kind and beneficent, it would
have been morally required to do some dangerous (pitiless and untrustworthy) acts
but ethically prohibited to do certain useful (forgiving and eleemosynary) things. One
response to this criticism is that God would not have revealed such things since, as
an omnibenevolent entity, he does not essentially ordain evil. According to
proponents of the heavenly order theory, this reaction is a per trope; it assumes that
God recognizes that, for example, savagery is pernicious before providing the order
that, according to the divine order hypothesis, renders remorselessness horrible.
3. Identify and discuss the qualifying principles in the natural law theory and give an
example for each on how it is applied when conflicts of values occur.
The Principle of the Double Effect states that a morally wrong consequence
or evil is ethically permissible if those who brought it about did so with the sole intent
of achieving a morally beneficial aim. For example in the field of medicine, in
circumstances of pregnancy and abortion, the notion of twofold impact is commonly
used. In circumstances where the woman is likely to die without the treatment, a
doctor who feels abortion is always ethically wrong may nonetheless remove the
uterus or fallopian tubes of a pregnant woman, knowing that the procedure would
result in the death of the embryo or baby. The intended consequence in these
situations is to preserve the woman's life rather than to terminate the pregnancy
because not conducting the surgery would result in the greater evil of both the
mother and the unborn dying.
The Principle of Forfeiture a person who puts another person's life in
jeopardy loses his or her own right to life. Natural law theorists believe that even if
you have to murder your would-be assailant, they have forfeited their innocent by
endangering your life unreasonably. For example, when you kill someone who is
attempting to kill you, you are killing him rather than murdering him. The idea of
forfeiture can be used to justify actions of self-defense, as well as war and capital
punishment. He or she jeopardizes his or her own dignity as a person or the
consequences of his or her actions. As a result, society has the right to seize it for
the general benefit.
4. How did Kant differentiate categorical from hypothetical imperative?
The major distinction between hypothetical and categorical imperative aims is that
hypothetical imperatives are moral orders based on local desiring or cognitive
processes, but straightforward objectives are orders you should obey regardless of
your desires or intents.
Two philosophical principles first offered through Immanuel Kant's works are
speculative purpose and unmitigated basic. According to Kant, an ethical character
may be summed up in an objective or extreme precept of reason. All duties and
commitments flow from this foundation.
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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5. Give the three formulations of Kant's theory of categorical imperative and state
what each prescribes as the right course of action to take.
The First Formulation: The Formula of Universality and Law of Nature
(Principle of Universal Law) - "As if the maxim of your activities was to become a
broad natural rule by your decision."
The Second Formulation: The Formula of Humanity (Respect for Person
Principle) - "Act in a manner that you always see humanity, whether that be in your
own person or in the person of another, as a means to an end, never merely as a
means to an end."
The Third Formulation: The Formula of Autonomy (Principle of
Autonomy) - "Act in such a way that your will can see itself as producing universal
law through its maxims at the same time."

6. Discuss the Rossian distinction between prima facie and actual duties. What are
the basic kinds of prima facie duties as identified by Ross? Give your own examples
for
Prima Facie is a Latin idiom that usually means "on the basis of first
impressions" or "in light of first impressions." An at first glance duty, according to
Ross, is a constraining or obligatory responsibility that takes everything into
consideration. For example, for social workers, this means that we should not
mislead consumers about their living situations or falsify information about them.
Furthermore, social workers must comply with mandatory announcing legislation,
keep promises made to clients and associates to arrange administrations, and
accomplish important desk work, among other things. These are duties that we
should fulfill on our own.
Actual Duties is when prima facie obligations clash, ethical judgments,
according to Ross, boils down to decisions about whether prima facie duties have
priority or precedence. For example, Brielle L., a social worker at a mental health
clinic, counseled Wynona Z., a single mom. Wynona was ordered by a local judge to
attend a mental health clinic for counseling. Wynona's case was in court after the
county child welfare department accused her of neglecting her two-year-old kid.
Wynona has battled depression and cocaine addiction for years. Wynona told Brielle
during a treatment session at the mental health clinic that she had left her child in the
car the day before when she went to see a friend. Wynona expressed her
dissatisfaction with her bad judgment, especially because the person she visited is
someone with whom Wynona took cocaine on a regular basis in the past. Brielle, the
social worker, reminded Wynona that she had a legal obligation as a social worker to
follow the state's obligatory reporting rule, which requires social workers to report
suspected child abuse or neglect to the county child welfare department. Wynona
pleaded with Brielle not to contact child protective services. Wynona remarked, "You
know how well I've been doing." “It was just a miscalculation. It's not going to happen
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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

again." Brielle was torn between her primary responsibility to safeguard her client's
privacy and her primary responsibility to follow the state's mandated reporting
statute.
7. Discuss the process of decision from one's prima facie duties to one's actual
duties. Give examples for illustration.
Ross originally lists seven primary responsibilities:
1. Duty of Fidelity - We should attempt to maintain our commitments and to be
true and honest.
2. Duty of Reparation - When we have harmed someone else, we should make
atonement.
3. Duty of Gratitude - We should be thankful to people when they do something
for us, and we should endeavor to repay the favor.
4. Duty of Justice - We should strive to be equitable in our distribution of
advantages and obligations.
5. Duty of Beneficence - We should endeavor to increase others' health,
wisdom, security, pleasure, and well-being by being kind to them.
6. Duty of Self-Improvement - We should aim for better health, wisdom,
security, pleasure, and well-being.
7. Duty of Non- Maleficence - We should avoid causing bodily or psychological
harm to others.
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CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

EXAMPLE:
A normal ten-year-old might be tempted to steal a neighbor's toy and add it to her
collection, but she recognizes that doing so, even if she could get away with it, would
violate the principles of non-injury (stealing the neighbor's toy would in some way
harm the neighbor child), justice (benefits would be distributed improperly), and non-
parasitism (it would be doing unto others as she would not want any other to do to
her). She may recognize that these three basic responsibilities forbid her from taking
the neighbor's child's toy. Her true mission isn't to take the toy.

References:
https://www.socialworktoday.com/news/eoe_111014.shtml
https://www.britannica.com/topic/natural-law
https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/medical_ethics_text/Chapter_2_
Ethical_Traditions/Categorical_Imperative.htm
https://iep.utm.edu/natlaw/
https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/ethics_text/chapter_7_deontolog
ical_theories_natural_law/divine_command_theory.htm
https://www.mytutor.co.uk/answers/1637/A-Level/Philosophy-and-Ethics/What-is-the-
difference-between-consequentialism-and-deontological-ethics/
https://pages.mtu.edu/~tlockha/hu329ov8.htm
https://iep.utm.edu/ross-wd/
https://www.google.com/search?
q=prima+facie+duties&rlz=1C1GCEJ_enPH886PH886&hl=en&sxsrf=AOaemvI5uMc
wIA8_anefaBpNw9Wvott2NA:1635576649302&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=
2ahUKEwi6wbzpxfHzAhVFFogKHVmkANAQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1517&bih=6
94&dpr=0.9#imgrc=xyhqOs7yKUJLoM&imgdii=pOhOD_NrvxqnlM