Questions tagged [deontology]
deontology is a philosophical stance on ethics that people ought to act in regard to a duty to "the law" (or rules).
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Why does the fact that moral laws or universal maxims are pure truths of reason imply they are the right or moral thing to do for Kant?
The question is based on an explanation from https://iep.utm.edu/kantview/ which states that what you should do, for Kant, is to "act rationally, in accordance with a universal moral law."
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The square root of evil (the demi-forbidden = the suberogated?)
Pursuant to the general question of demi-operations in logic, I wondered today about demi-forbidding, √FR. So luckily enough, my question is simple enough:
Via Fregean conceptual analysis, or ...
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What is Kant's opinion on gossip?
Just curious this evening what Kant and other, contemporary, deontologists say about gossip. I don't mean deliberate lies, but a certain attitude to truth and truth telling in which both the ...
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What kind of homo/isomorphism, if any, applies to a certain pair of pairs of permission types?
The SEP article on deontic logic mentions at least once or twice that there seem to be two types of permissibility (also a difference between "ought" and "must," to note). Over the ...
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Ethics and Hypocritical Behaviors
One of my friends will-known to me criticizes zoos for keeping animals in cages or drugging them, especially at places where one can play with drugged tigers. But at the same time, he eats chicken and ...
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Should a deontic logic informed by Rawlsian/Arendtian considerations use plural quantifiers?
In A Theory of Justice (1999 ed., pg. 24), Rawls says:
The nature of the decision made by the ideal legislator is not, therefore, materially different from that of an entrepreneur deciding how to ...
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Are there any philosophers who argue for a non-utilitarian moral realism from phenomenology?
What I have in mind is a non-utilitarian alternative to Sharon Hewitt Rawlette (a summary from a podcast) which would propose something like:
Morality is objective because moral facts are equally as ...
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Is there a second-order priority problem in deontology?
In A Theory of Justice, John Rawls brings up the notion of priority problems in ethics, and addresses (at length) two in particular: the definitional relation of the right and the good, and the ...
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Questions about truth in deontic logic
I'm currently studying a bit of deontic logic due to a course in modal logic that I'm taking and I have some questions.
My main question is regarding truth value in deontic logic. Initially, I ...
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What is the difference between anti-teleology and deontology?
In regards to ethical positions, what is anti-teleology, and how is it different from deontology? Are they opposites or is their relationship of another sort?
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If a Person’s Intent Is Good but the Outcome Is Negative, Is Their Action Ethical in the Framework of Deontology?
I am unsure about how this question would be classified within the framework of Deontology, and have been unable to find a answer that resolves my question.
For example:
Let's say that a person makes ...
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Animal commodification
Is it morally or ethically justified to commodify animals (i.e., such as the tiger temple when it was a thing)? Should humans treat animals' ends (telos) with as much respect as we do ourselves? ...
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Categorical imperative vs. Consequentialism
i am new to philosophy. I am willing to understand where is the fine border between action-based and consequence-based morals:
To my understanding a deontologist judges an action irrelative of the ...
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Kant, suicide, and the unalienable right to life
Recently, after taking an introductory course in Kantian ethics — I am now familiar with the concepts of free will, duty-conception, the categorical imperative —, I was writing an essay on his ...
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Is this moral philosophy consequentialist or deontological?
I'm working on an article in which I attempt to defend a "unified" theory of morality that takes insights from all the most popular moral theories in Western philosophy. The main principle ...
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Do contractualist deontological theories face any difficulties with the trolley problem?
I was wondering what problems contractualist approaches face with the trolley problem. Also, what other problems may contractualism have with aggregation as a whole?
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For Kant, are we obligated to treat people who have no ability to reason or to give decisions or consents as always an end and not merely as means?
For Kant, are we obligated to treat people who have no ability to reason or to give decisions or consents (concerning with mental insanity) as always an end and not merely as means? If we are, why is ...
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How would Kant/Mill justify causing somebody discomfort when doing the righteous thing?
I was wondering how Kant, or even Mill might respond to the issue that when doing the righteous thing, say standing up for yourself against a bully, or somebody who wants to impede on your rights, you ...
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Good (intro) textbook for deontic logic
I've read 90% of Sider's Logic for Philosophy and thought it was great - very lucid. Assuming I am more or less familiar with what's introduced there, are there any great resources out there for ...
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Is there any act utilitarian philosopher?
According to the Greatest Happiness Principle […] the ultimate end […]
is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as
possible in enjoyments, both in point of quantity and quality;...
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Is consequentialism compatible with deontology and virtue ethics?
I know normative ethics is traditionally divided into 3 main branches: deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics. However, it seems to me that although they are most often presented as mutually ...
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Do Kant or Aristotle ever comment on the line between self-interest/preservation and helping others?
Im wondering whether either of them ever talked about limits to helping others and when we should choose ourselves.
Ive tried doing some research but unfortunately to not avail.
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Usage of the word 'deontological'
When discussing deontological ethics vs consequentialism, the examples given are generally somewhat drastic: e.g. killing one person to save five. But what about something which is 'harmless fun' but ...
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Is it ethical to pursue one's own interests even at the expense of someone else's interests?
Say you and someone else are competing for a spot on a professional sports team. You're equally good, and in the end it'll come down to minor preference by the scout or randomness as to who gets ...
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Is self-interest ethical even when it means not helping others?
I'm having trouble reconciling common sense self-interest with the mainstream systems in ethics.
Say I'm taking a life-changing exam, and I've studied and am super prepared; yet, the guy behind me ...
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An attempt at reconstructing the reasoning behind Kant's universalization principle
Please let me know whether you detect objectionable points in my attempt at reconstructing Kant's universalization principle.
Reference : Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.
https://en....
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Why do some deontological ethical frameworks seem to reduce to consequentialism?
I may have a defunct understanding of deontological ethics, but for some reason it seems to me that deontological ethics ultimately reduce to consequentialist theories. Take, for instance, Kant's ...
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A deontic premise that leads to a necessity from a permission
I wanted to devise some rules for myself, then formulate those rules using formal symbolic logic, and one of the rules that I have set for myself is : "Do not say what is unnecessary", in other words :...
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Ethics of saying "this cause is a just cause, but now is not the time to fight for it"?
This question stems from a discussion I heard with regards to LGBTQ rights in Arab and Muslim communities:
Arab progressive: LGBTQ rights are very important, and I respect LGBTQ people and think ...
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Notions of Right and Wrong in Perfectionist Ethics
Perfectionist ethics requires one strive for excellence or "develop [one's] nature."
However, one particular passage in the linked text seems problematic when trying to assign values (right or wrong) ...
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Are deontologists arguing against virtue ethics, and if so does it matter?
This question got me thinking.
If deontology and virtue ethics are not reconcilable but in direct competition with each other, does that mean that in arguing for one we are arguing against the other? ...
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A typology of ethical theories for beginners?
Ethical theories can doubtless be classified, cross-connected and contrasted in many ways. I am not looking for a definitive classification, only a useful typology to get me started. Refinements and ...
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Justification for axiom OB-RE in deontic logic
Let OB p denote "p is obligatory". Axiom OB-RE is (p ↔ q) → (OB p ↔ OB q). This axiom seems false to me (under the interpretation of obligation). For example, let p denote "don't lie to me" and q ...
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Is Ross' paradox really a paradox?
Consider the following disjunction introduction:
Your room is clean.
Therefore, your room is clean or your house is burnt down.
Ross' paradox allegedly arises when applying this inference to ...
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How does the golden rule apply in the case of reporting someone for a crime?
Suppose you find out someone you know committed a crime for which they were not caught. Under the deontological "golden rule," would you report them?
What I thought: In attempting to apply the ...
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Do virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism all just assume their sets of preferences?
The way I understand it, there are three main branches of ethics:
Virtue Ethics: have a list of virtues to cultivate
Deontology: obey a list of moral rules
Consequentialism: the consequences of an ...
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How do the Officer's Oath and the Enlisted Oath interact
I've come across a military question which is so subtle that I think it has to be answered from a philosophical perspective, dealing with the meaning of "duty" and nuanced things like that.
In many ...
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Difference between weak Axiology, strong Axiology, weak Deontology, and strong Deontology
Axiology is the philosophical study of value. However, I don't see what strong Axiology and weak Axiology mean. The same thing with strong Deontology and weak Deontology. I can't seem to find the ...
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Philiosophies similar or close to Kantianism viewpoint
Is there any philosophy that is similar or close to the viewpoint of that held by German philosopher Immanuel Kant as I need to put forward an argument from two Deontological ethical viewpoints.I have ...
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A 'Different' Theory of Ethics
Is there a specific term for the theory of ethics which evaluates an action by comparing it to alternatives? I am aware of Deontological and Consequentialist theories, but if I understand correctly, ...
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Is there an academic consensus in modern philosophy for how to answer moral philosophy in general, and how to deal with novel problems?
What does modern academic moral philosophy have to say (i.e. what is the academic consensus as per today) about novel moral problems? In particular, if deontological reasoning is what modern academia ...
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In deontologism, is the enforcement of a duty a duty in and of itself?
Deontological ethics are built around certain rules, duties, and principles which one must follow in order to be a moral being.
Given such a duty, is the enforcement of these duties in and of itself ...
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Can one be pragmatic when dealing with ethnic groups without being racist?
Situation A: A terrorist attack has just occurred and out of the several possible suspects, one of them belongs to an ethnicity notorious for violent behavior and extremist beliefs. The authorities ...
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Which philosopher maintained that virtue ethics, deontology and consequentialism can be reduced to each other?
I remember skimming an article by a female philosopher that argued that each of the three major kinds of ethics can actually be expressed in terms of each other.
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Utilitarianism or Kantianism
Which of these two theories is more accepted or has more support in the field of ethics?
It seems that Kantian ethics holds too stringent of rules and the the Universal Law of Formulation is ...
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According to Kant, Is it ethical to prevent someone acting unethically against ones self?
My intuition seems to say yes, however I'm not quite sure how to go about reasoning about this. I'm particularly interested in evaluating this using the first and second categorical imperative.
I ...
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Is there anything wrong with this argument against Kantian Ethics?
I am trying to devise an argument against Kantian ethics, but I would like some feedback before I get into it because I don't want to end up just attacking a strawman.
First, I utilize Bernard ...
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Why does rationality + free will necessitate an objective morality for Kant?
So, I'm trying to tackle Kantian Ethics, and I would like to think that I know the most of it but I have some confusions
So, what I understand of Kants ethical system is that a) We are rational ...
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What would a Kantian Deontologist do in the situation where there is a group of children drowning, but he is wearing expensive shoes.? [closed]
I know this may seem like a weird question but I have a philosophy class in which I need to determine what a Utilitarian, Virtue Theorist, Kantian Deontologist, and a consequentialist would do in a ...
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In Kant, how do Universalizability and Freedom relate to each other?
I have read the following book on Kant: Kant on the Right to Freedom
This is my understanding of Kantianism and freedom:
Reason must be the basis of all morality. (Moral realism fails).
This ...
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