Overview

“Do the right thing, even if the heavens fall.” Deontology is about duty, rules, and rights. It’s the opposite of Utilitarianism.

Core Idea

Categorical Imperative: Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law. (Immanuel Kant). Translation: Don’t make exceptions for yourself. If you lie, you are saying “It’s okay for everyone to lie,” which would destroy trust.

Formal Definition (if applicable)

Formula of Humanity: Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end. (Don’t use people).

Intuition

Batman refuses to kill the Joker, even though the Joker will escape and kill again. Batman is a deontologist. He has a rule (“No killing”) and he sticks to it, regardless of the consequences.

Examples

  • Human Rights: You have a right to free speech, even if your speech makes people unhappy.
  • Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not steal” (Period. Not “Thou shalt not steal unless you really need it”).
  • Professional Codes: Doctors have a duty of confidentiality.

Common Misconceptions

  • “It’s just following orders.” (Kant believed you must use your own reason to discover the moral law, not just obey authority.)
  • “It’s rigid.” (It can be, but modern deontologists allow for conflicting duties.)
  • Divine Command Theory: Things are right because God commands them.
  • Prima Facie Duties: Duties that can be overridden by more important duties (W.D. Ross).
  • Rights-Based Ethics: Focusing on what people are owed.

Applications

  • Law: The justice system protects rights even if it’s inefficient.
  • Medicine: Informed consent (you can’t experiment on a patient without permission, even if it cures cancer).
  • War: The Geneva Conventions (rules of war).

Criticism / Limitations

“Dirty Hands”: Sometimes you have to do something wrong to prevent a catastrophe (e.g., lying to the Nazis to hide Jews). Kant said lying is always wrong, which seems absurd in that case.

Further Reading

  • Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
  • Korsgaard, The Sources of Normativity