Teleological and deontological approaches to topics vary by their focus, with teleological approaches based on intended end effects and deontological approaches based on adherence to set rules. Jun 25, 2019 deontology is thus a theory of moral obligation, and it encompasses moral theories that emphasize a persons rights and duties. Deontological theory definition of deontological theory by. Theory and kants moral theory are paradigm deontological theories. Download as ppt, pdf, txt or read online from scribd. Kant believed that ethical actions follow universal moral laws, such as dont lie. Edel 1973, 175, and this is also how rawls considers it 197199, 22. Deontological theories queensborough community college. By way of preliminary, consider the following propositions. Teleological notions were widespread among aristotles predecessors, but he rejected their conception of extrinsic. Aristotle is commonly considered the inventor of teleology, although the precise term originated in the eighteenth century. Essays deontology and teleology one of the preeminent dilemmas of contemporary philosophy for the everyday person is the emphasis on a teleological theory or a deontological theory of ethics. Difference between deontology and teleology difference.
In deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of. Teleological, deontological and virtue ethics theories reconciled in the context of traditional economic decision making article pdf available in. Oct 20, 2014 deontological and teleological ethics deontology and teleology are two specialist terms used to separate ethical theories. The good will intentions count and the only intention that counts is the good will. It is sometimes described as duty, obligation or rulebased ethics. According to the dictionary, a moral theory is deontological if it is centred on duty or obligation. What is the difference between teleological and deontological. Take, for example, the thought that blossoms are forming. The word deontology comes from the greek roots deon, which means duty, and logos, which means. Suppose an individual has the right to use, sell or dispose of his personal car then the other persons have the. Apr 17, 2009 deontological ethics there are two major ethics theories that attempt to specify and justify moral rules and principles. Deontological ethics wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This theory discourages interfering in the action of the veteran officer because it may affect the potentially positive result sought from the action.
The deontological approach utilitarianism is the bestknown consequentialist theory bentham, 1776. The natural laws that deontology is based on the command of god, though it has also been created from the secular humanism in the western application of the theory. Deontological theories guide action with a set of moral principles or moral rules, but it is the. Deontology is an approach to ethics which adheres to the theory that an end does not justify the means while teleology is an approach to ethics that adheres to the theory that the end always justifies the means. Teleological theory vs deontological theory i will be arguing on the side of teleological theory, con will be arguing for deontological theory. Kant and deontological theory immanuel kant was a moral philosopher. For the remainder of this paper i want to explore this possibility by sketching a new teleological reading, one that captures the deontological elements within fichtes theory, but that does not turn into a form of calculative consequentialism.
In moral philosophy, deontological ethics or deontology from greek. Kant and deontological theory essay 1226 words 5 pages. Deontology dutybased ethics kant learning theories. Deontological ethics i deontological ethics says that being good consists in following the right rulesmeeting all your obligations.
Evolutionary biology has also played a role in its application. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Teleological theories of mental content try to explain the contents of mental representations by appealing to a teleological notion of function. According to the teleological perspective, a form of human behavior is described as moral or nonmoral according to the goals explicitly set. Also known as consequentialist ethics, it is opposed to deontological ethics from the greek deon, duty, which holds that the basic standards for an actions being morally right are. In this terminology, action is more important than the consequences. Deontology or deontological ethics is the branch of ethics in which people define what is morally right or wrong by the actions themselves, rather than referring to the consequences of those actions, or the character of the person who performs them.
These terms are most often found together in the study of ethics. The teleologicaldeontological distinction springerlink. A teleological theory, on the other hand, looks to the. Utilitarianism is the most prominent consequencebased theory. Deontological ethics is commonly contrasted to consequentialism, virtue ethics, and pragmatic ethics. Teleological theories, encyclopedia of bioethics, ed. The term deontological was first used to describe the current, specialised definition by c. In deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good. Deontological approaches in ethics usually contrasted with teleological approaches. Deontological and teleological ethics komilla chadha. The ethical systems are based on some form of a rule system. This article examines the most prominent ethical theories from the view point of economic rationality.
These theories of the good hold that actions are intrinsically right or wrong. The negative rights theory asserts that an action is right if it protects the individual from harm or unwarranted interference from other people or the government while exercising his right. It is unclear, however, which of the many features of these theories are the defming characteris tics of teleological and deontological theories respectively. Deontology is an ethical theory that uses rules to distinguish right from wrong. Deontological ethics, in philosophy, ethical theories that place special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions. Act utilitarianism is a paradigm teleological theory, and the divine command theory and kants moral theory are paradigm deontological theories.
It just requires that people follow the rules and do their duty. We can talk about two general main categories in which we can fall the ethical theories. You must read only those linked materials that are preceded by the capitalized word read. In this paper, i shall examine what this means, how far it is true and what difference it makes. Joseph this book is a work in progress that is offered for free to anyone. They affect how people make choices and lead their lives. From the first category we enumerate the aristotelian perspective or the one developed by j. This paper is a condensed version of chapter 2 of my dissertation the teleological deontological distinction university of pittsburgh, 1984. An example of a deontological theory includes aquinas natural moral law, since it proposes a set of key primary precepts and appeals to our duty to follow these, regardless of the situation we may be in. Teleological is an approach to ethics that focuses on the rightness or wrongness of actions by examining its consequences while deontological is an approach to ethics that focuses on the rightness or wrongness of actions themselves, instead of examining any other considerations. Teleological, deontological and virtue ethics theories reconciled in the context of traditional economic decision making article pdf available in procedia economics and finance 39. At its simplest form, ethics can be defined as a system of moral principles.
Emphasises the value of every human being, providing a basis for human rights. The key difference between teleological and deontological ethics is that the teleological ethics determines the goodness or badness of an action by examining its consequences whereas deontological ethics determines the goodness or badness of the action by examining the action itself teleological and deontological ethics are two opposing ethical theories that determine. The teleologicaldeontological distinction peter vallentyne. If the conclusions of this paper are correct, this practice must stop.
That is, the view that the moral facts are like physical facts in that what the. Egoism is a teleological theory of ethics that sets as its goal the benefit, pleasure, or greatest good of oneself alone. Arguments for and against abortion in terms of teleological. A major postulate is that we may not use or mistreat other people as a means to our own happiness or to that of others. Mill, while the kantian perspective is exemplary for deontological ethics. Introduction department of philosophy, university of. Edel 1973, 175, and this is also how rawls considers it 197199, 22, 35. I unlike consequentialism, it is highly unsituational. Authors argue that utilitarian perspective which used to be.
According to this theory, the new person took the correct course of action by not interfering in the event at the time it took place. What is the difference between teleological and deontological ethics. Pdf the teleologicaldeontological distinction researchgate. The most important general and theoretical horizons regarding bioethics, refers to the ethical theories foundation. In this approach to ethics it is the consequence of the act that is the basis for determining its worth. That kantian theory, as it relates to deontology, is in line with the western philosophy deontological ethical theory. The term deontology is derived from the greek deon, duty, and logos, science. Deontology is an approach to ethics which adheres to the theory that an end does not justify the means while teleology. Mill, 1863, and suggests that ethical behavior is one that maximizes societal welfare while. On a representational theory of thought, this thought involves a representation of blossoms forming. Deontological theory definition of deontological theory. Essays deontology and teleology one of the preeminent dilemmas of contemporary philosophy for the everyday person is the emphasis on a teleological theory or a deontological theory. While deontology is based on mans absolute duty towards mankind and how it is given priority over results, teleology is based on the results of an action and on whether an action produces greater happiness and less pain.
Broad in his 1930 book, five types of ethical theory. Difference between teleological and deontological compare. Deontology and teleology are two specialist terms used to separate ethical theories. One of the most influential ethical frameworks, deontology is focused on binding rules, obligation and duty to family, country, church, etc. What is the difference between deontological and teleological. Comparison between deontological and teleological approaches. They difference between deontology and teleology, is in essence, the same as the difference between absolutist and relativist theories.
Teleological ethics, teleological from greek telos, end. Deontological and teleological ethics flashcards quizlet. Form the first category we enumerate the aristotelian perspective or the one developed by j. Baier notes that the word deontology was coined by the utilitarian jeremybentha mto denote. Teleological ethics are also often referred to as consequentialism. Deontology is also known as dutybased ethics while teleology is also known as resultsoriented ethics. Deontological ethics slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Pdf in almost every introductory ethics course the student is taught that there are two basic kinds of moral theories. From this perspective, utilitarianism can be grouped together with the ethics of aristotle cf.
The key difference between teleological and deontological ethics is that the teleological ethics determines the goodness or badness of an action by examining its consequences whereas deontological ethics determines the goodness or badness of the action by examining the action itself teleological and deontological ethics are two opposing ethical theories that determine the moral goodness or. Also known as consequentialist ethics, it is opposed to deontological ethics from the greek deon. Act utilitarianism is a paradigm teleological theory, and the divine command. Deontological ethics according to philosophy, in the ethical theories it places a special emphasis on the relationships between the duties and the morality of human actions phonological. The term was coined by jeremy bentham in 1814, and he believed that deontology was a way to marshall selfinterested reasons for agents to act for the general good, but bentham believed that following a strict moral code of behavior was in fact for the general good of. In contemporary moral philosophy, deontology is used most commonly to refer to moral conceptions which endorse several theses. Studies of religion introduction to ethics essay essay question compare and contrast deontological and teleological approaches to ethics. His theory, better known as deontological theory, holds that intent, reason, rationality, and good will are motivating factors. While consequentialist and deontological ethical theories emphasize universal standards and impartiality, ethics of care emphasize the importance of relationships.
Utilitarianism also called consequentialism is a moral theory developed and refined in the modern world in the writings of jeremy bentham 17481832 and john stuart mill 18061873. In almost every introductory ethics course the student is taught that there are two basic kinds of moral theories. The ethical egoism is a teleological theory that posits, an action is good if it produces or is likely to produce results that maximize the persons selfinterest as defined by him, even at the expense of others. The view that what is right or wrong doesnt depend on what anyone thinks is right or wrong. But if teleology means the use of ends or goals in natural science, then aristotle was rather a critical innovator of teleological explanation. Pdf this article examines the most prominent ethical theories from the view point of economic rationality. His theory, better known as deontological theory, holds that intent, reason, rationality, and good will are motivating factors in the ethical decision making process. Very widespread is the division into teleological, deontological and virtue ethics theories boatright, 1997. It is based on the notion that it is always moral to promote ones own good, but at times avoiding the personal interest. Because deontological theories are best understood in contrast to.