What's on my mind?

From the greek word deon meaning duty or obligation. A moral theory which is based on duty. Immanuel Kant is the proponent of this theory. He argues that to be in a morally right way one must act according to duty. Further he argues that it is the motives of the person who does the action which makes an action morally right and not the consequences of an action.

Deontologists who are also moral absolutists believe that some actions are wrong no matter what consequences follow from them. Immanuel Kant, for example, famously argued that it is always wrong to lie – even if a murderer is asking for the location of a potential victim.

Immanuel Kant begins with an argument that the highest good must be both good in itself, and good without qualification.


according to Kant, goodness depends on rightness. How?

Kant's three significant formulations of the categorical imperative are:

• Act only according to that maxim by which you can also will that it would become a universal law.
• Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.
• Act as though you were, through your maxims, a law-making member of a kingdom of ends.

to put simply, man has a duty on another person. respect the person and see that person as an end and not a means to an end.

critics of Deontology

1. no guidelines for conflicting duties.
2. act according only to the maxim which you can at the same time will to be universal.
3. categorical imperative which are immoral but can be justified are the following: death penalty, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, premarital sex, divorce, masturbation, gambling.
4. In the movie 'The Island', technology imposes on you a duty to use for the good of the people so it validates cloning.