Deontology

Deontology is a theory about how we should act, morally speaking. It comes in several varieties, but all share certain doctrines, many of which are close to those found in the so-called 'common-sense morality' of the Western world. And all varieties are united in their opposition to consequentialism, a theory that, in its simplest form, tells us that we should always act so as to maximize impersonal value by bringing about the best consequences. This Element presents some of the different versions of deontology, including the views of W. D. Ross, and, to a lesser extent, Immanuel Kant. It defends certain deontological tenets, while challenging others, and contrasts them with consequentialism. Deontology and consequentialism are two of the main contenders in ethical theory, but virtue ethics is another, and it too is addressed (briefly), with an attempt to see it, in its most plausible form, as part of deontology. Cover Title page Copyright page Deontology Contents Introduction 1 What Is Deontology? 1.1 Deontology and Consequentialism 1.2 Morality and Practical Reason 1.3 Common-Sense Morality 1.4 Consequences and States of Affairs 1.5 Kant and Ross 1.6 Agent-relativity and Agent-neutrality 2 Two Deontological Doctrines 2.1 The Doctrine of Double Effect 2.2 The Doctrine of Doing and Allowing 3 W. D. Ross 3.1 Prima Facie Duties 3.2 Ross’s Epistemology 3.3 Certainty and Probable Opinion 3.4 Self-evidence and the Heterogeneity of the Prima Facie Duties 3.5 The Role of the Prima Facie Duties 4 Ross, Deontology, and Its Defence against Consequentialism 4.1 Duties of Special Obligation 4.2 Constraints 4.3 The Patient-Centred Approach: Constraints and Rights 4.4 Options 4.5 Options without Constraints 4.6 The Rejection of Rule Consequentialism 5 Normativity, Motivation, and Practical Reasons 6 The Place of Moral Principles 6.1 Generalism or Particularism? 6.2 Virtue Ethics References Acknowledgements