Kant's Duty Ethics Definition
Rough Draft - Duty Ethics Duty ethics, also known as deontology, is the school of thought that bases the morality of an action on a set of universal rules. A person is said to have a duty, or obligation, to adhere to these rules with no exception. Unlike Utilitarianism, in deontology the morality of an action does not depend on the consequences of that action. Deontology also considers the individual rights of those affected by an action. Kant agreed that we still have moral duties to ourselves and those around us, but believed that the categorical imperative is the foundation of duty. The categorical imperative, as defined by Kant, is a moral obligation that applies to all rational beings, with no qualifications. There are three laws regarding
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Kant stated that action on a maxim should only be taken if the maxim should be universally applied. For example, “I should not lie” could be considered a maxim that should be universally applied. This principle is similar to the “Golden Rule”: Treat others the way that you would want them to treat you. In practice, I think this principle could cause issues to arise. The specifics of each situation are not discussed, and do not matter according to the law. Consider the following maxim: I should not speed. Speeding can negatively impact those around, possibly resulting in an accident and injuries or fatalities. Generally, this seems like a maxim that should be universally applied. However, the specifics of each situation cannot be ignored. What if one is speeding late at night because they have an ill passenger that needs medical attention? Traffic is likely light, and speeding may not negatively impact others. Speeding could be viewed as acceptable by some, even though it would violate a law. One may argue that a universal law be applied for each general scenario. Another may argue that the judgement of a few is too subjective to apply to all. I do not believe that a universal law should be applied in any
Kant stated that action on a maxim should only be taken if the maxim should be universally applied. For example, “I should not lie” could be considered a maxim that should be universally applied. This principle is similar to the “Golden Rule”: Treat others the way that you would want them to treat you. In practice, I think this principle could cause issues to arise. The specifics of each situation are not discussed, and do not matter according to the law. Consider the following maxim: I should not speed. Speeding can negatively impact those around, possibly resulting in an accident and injuries or fatalities. Generally, this seems like a maxim that should be universally applied. However, the specifics of each situation cannot be ignored. What if one is speeding late at night because they have an ill passenger that needs medical attention? Traffic is likely light, and speeding may not negatively impact others. Speeding could be viewed as acceptable by some, even though it would violate a law. One may argue that a universal law be applied for each general scenario. Another may argue that the judgement of a few is too subjective to apply to all. I do not believe that a universal law should be applied in any