DEONTOLOGY

Copyright: mdnazario2019 Slide design and presentation: edpalean2019

HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI BOMBINGS
The case of the Hiroshima and
Nagasaki bombing has caught the
interest of people and these include
the ethicists who have for years,
debated its morality. It has to be
noted however that the bombing is
accepted internationally as a legal
action since the Hague convention
does not consider strategic bombing
a war crime. Its legality has been
contested and there have been calls
to declare it otherwise.
HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI BOMBINGS

In the discourse of its legality and

morality, one of the issues raised
was should legal action always be
moral? We will now analyze this
discourse from the point of view
of one the greatest influences
in philosophy and ethics‐
Immanuel Kant or otherwise
known as the Kantian Theory.
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
A. KANT AND DUTY BASED
THEORIES
B. GOODWILL
C. CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
D. TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF
RIGHTS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Understand and appreciate Kantian

theory;
2. Analyze ethical situations using Kantian
Theory;
3. Differentiate a legal from a moral right;
and
IMMANUEL KANT
Trivia: The magnitude of Kant’s
intellectual contribution has fascinated a
lot of people. When his body was exhumed
for transferring to another site, his skull
was measured and found that his forehead
is larger than that of ordinary German
male. Whether the size of his forehead has
any bearing on his genius is a matter of
scientific speculation.
 KANT AND DUTY BASED THEORIES
A FURER STORY

If you were Johann, (knowing how Adolf Hitler will be committing the
most atrocious crime against humanity in the history of mankind), would
you be still be saving the boy from drowning or not?
KANT AND DUTY BASED THEORIES
A FURER STORY

Do we have the duty to save that boy? Or do we have a

duty to humankind and thus, not save that boy?
KANT AND DUTY BASED THEORIES
The importance of the intention in the
analysis of one’s ethical behavior?

In the application of the Kantian

theory, whatever result may happen as
consequence of the act is not included
in this moral assessment. Thus, it is
possible that though the consequence
was not the desired result, or may
result in something bad, still‐ the act
can be considered good.
KANT AND DUTY BASED THEORIES
The importance of the intention in the
analysis of one’s ethical behavior?

The DEONTOLOGICAL THEORY

asserts that it is possible for an
action to be considered as
morally good even if it results in
bad consequences. What
determines if the action is good
or bad is the WILL.
 GOOD WILL

In recognizing the will, our moral actions will now be based on what
we try to achieve and not what we have actually achieved. Our
goodness is the result of our efforts and not on the result of that
HOW DO WE KNOW IF THE WILL IS GOOD?

It should be noted also that a

person’s actions should be based
not just on the will but on the
Good Will. The will is considered
good if it is done by free moral
agents whose actions will not
succumb to outside forces.
Say you had will for cake
and YOU GAVE IN to this will
HOW DO WE KNOW IF THE WILL IS GOOD?

If I allow my will to be constantly

controlled by my desire, then I fail to
control my will and thus, failed to assert
my action as a moral agent. Therefore, as
moral agents, the will must be able to
control the outside forces and this makes
our will autonomous. An autonomous will
is one that is able to stand on its own, and
this autonomy is what makes our will
good.
HOW DO WE TRAIN OUR WILL TO BE AUTONOMOUS?

The will becomes autonomous if it is

shaped according to acceptable
principles of all moral agents.

“Act only according to that maxim

whereby you can at the same time will
that it should become a universal law.”
-Immanuel Kant
(Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, 1785)
 CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
TWO QUESTIONS ASKED:
1. Can the act be applied universally? (The universalizability
test)
 CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE
TWO QUESTIONS ASKED:
2. In doing the act, is man treated as an end?
Do we treat other people as an end in
themselves rather than as a means. Do we
use people? Does our act devalue the ability
of the human being to think rationally for
himself? Do we allow him to think on his
own by giving him the truth?
ROBIN HOOD’S CASE
TWO KINDS OF RIGHTS
(WHAT IS LEGAL IS NOT ALWAYS MORAL)

1. LEGAL

2. MORAL
SUMMARY
Kantian theory or also otherwise known as
Deontological theory, focuses on duty as the primary
factor for determining if an action is good or not. In
this theory, for one to be considered as good, two tests
have to be passed.
1. The universalizability test; and
2. Treatment of humans as an end and not as a means.

A person has made the morally correct

action if the action responds positively to
both questions. In that case, we then have
the duty to do that act.
 DEONTOLOGY

Copyright: mdnazario2019 Slide design and presentation: edpalean2019