Question

Write a journal entry (approximately 200 words). Your journal entry should present your views on the value & usefulness of one or more of the ethical theories discussed in the reading assignment.

Your entry should also share your personal ethical reflections in relation to the reading assignment.

Issues Presented - Deontological Ethics & Immanuel kant

Answer 1

The word deon means duty, so, the famous deontologist theorist Immanuel Kant proposed the duty based moral behaviour without worrying about the outcome of our behaviour. He suggests that we are all bound to act in some way which is defined by the society, religion, culture, law etc. Deontologists such as, Kant suggests that even if the outcome of an action is good, if the moral rule of principle prevents one to act thus stressing more on the act and not on the outcome. Kant also proposed his categorical imperative where he suggests one to act to a maxim that the act becomes universal and followed by all and act in such a way that you don’t use anyone for your selfishness.

Although, the Kantian categorical imperatives makes more sense to me and is still valuable today, the moral rule of principle that suggests that the act is important and not the outcome is important makes it more invalid. Most of the time, we suggest something to other people but we ourselves don’t follow it. So, Kantian moral philosophy suggests that one should act on it, so that others follow it as a maxim. Another thing is that it suggests people not to use others for achieving one’s ends. That too is very valid but most of the people use others to come up in their lives.