Consequentialism Vs Deontology Essay

Improved Essays
Consequentialism and deontology are contrasting theories of philosophy that guide us in viewing acts in terms of their morality. The doctrine of consequentialism suggests we should judge the morality of actions purely on the results they produce; whereas deontology aims to judge morality based on the conduct of an individual, and morality is decided from the moral acceptance of a particular action rather than the result the decision produces. These principles of philosophy have existed for thousands of years, with many philosophers throughout history using them as a basis for their work. In the context of an ethical situation, we can thoroughly use these ideologies as instruments to determine an effective solution to prevent a harmful dilemma; …show more content…
Breaking any law on a business scale would be avoided with deontology, especially through the eyes of Kant who said, “In order that action should be morally good, it is not enough that it conform to the moral law, but it also must be done for the sake of the law” (Kant & Abbot, 1916, p. 6). So Rajaratnam, knowing that insider trading was taboo, because it often causes damage to others, should have simply reframed from engaging in the illegal activities regardless of the circumstances, because the law existed as a source of protection. Even if for whatever reason he thought he could do it without hurting anyone, he wouldn’t if he was following a deontological approach, simply because it is generally harmful. In order for a decision this to be effectively Kantian, he would have to do that with a pure will, and not for any anything he might get in return, such as a good feeling for following the law (Kant & Abbot, 1916, p. 7). If Rajaratnam acted out of duty, and respected the laws for what they stood for, this ethical situation could have been

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    As citizens it is our jobs to evaluate every candidate’s proposals so that we can determine which candidate has the “right” or “good” solution to the nation’s problems. Some voters focus only on the consequences of these potential policies while others focus on the consequences and other factors that influence the duties, rights, and rules of the people. The three areas that can easily be discussed in terms of consequences or duties and rights include education, health care, and criminal justice potential policies. In order to find a “right” or “good” solution for both education and health care, I think it is best to focus on only the consequences of the proposals which is known as Consequentialism. However, potential criminal justice policy’s…

    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    For many years there has been a debate between the opposing philosophical frameworks consequentialism and deontology. Some could argue that consequentialisms maxim of "the ends justify the means” as the determinant for a moral action may be inconsistent with other important aspects of value such as rights and allegiance. Others may argue that deontology is simply too restrictive and independent of the context in which it could be applied to. Although these two philosophical frameworks have various pros and cons associated with them, I will argue that consequentialism is the most flexible of the two frameworks. Consequentialism portrays right action in terms of intrinsic value, stating that the “action is right if…its consequences would be…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    1. Deontology is driven by the duty and righteousness of an action alone rather than the consequences. Deontologists argue that “morality is a matter of duty” (Lacewing 1) and the ethical theory can often be described as “duty-based” or “obligation-based” due to the fact that we are driven by the moral duty to do right based on a moral norm (Turner 7). This ethical theory argues the consequence or justification is irrelevant and determines an action to be right or wrong based on the action itself alone. Deontology differs from its opposing ethical theory Consequentialism, by stating that “right takes priority over good” (____).…

    • 1426 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    We will now come to the implementation phase, as when utilizing the systems to make moral judgments about particular cases, it will be valuable to take after the procedure beneath. It becomes very important to Perceive an Ethical Issue, which is A standout amongst the most imperative things to do toward the start of moral thought is to situate, to the degree conceivable, the particularly moral parts of the current issue. Some of the time what gives off an impression of being a moral question is truly a debate about realities or ideas. For instance, a few Utilitarians may contend that capital punishment is moral since it prevents wrongdoing and along these lines delivers the best measure of good with the minimum damage. Different Utilitarians,…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Thus, punishment is not necessary because of this rational foundation of the law, its logical validity: all that is needed is for the offender to grasp this rational foundation and he himself will not break the law as a rational actor. For this reason, therefore, Seecebeesia’s system can be explained as having a deontological basis: the laws of the country are ethical and also universally valid, because they are rational. When evaluating the merits or drawbacks of Seecebeesia’s system, therefore, the fundamental question is whether such a deontological approach to the law is valid. In the following essay, I will provide a critical interpretation of Seecebeesia’s deontological approach to ethics, based on the notion that this deontology fails to accurately account for…

    • 1623 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant's Moral Explanations

    • 2003 Words
    • 9 Pages

    a person’s standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do. This essay intends point out the relevant aspects of moral theologians, Kant, Mill, Aristotle and Held and to answer the question of the best suited approach in resolving ethical problems and dilemmas. Kant I have found that Kant’s theory is the most complicated and confusing of the four. It was only made somewhat clear by the explanation in O’Neill’s reading.…

    • 2003 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The use of animals in research is widely accepted, particularly within the scientific community. However, with the rise of new technologies and growing concern over animal welfare, the ethics of animal experimentation and the extent to which it is practiced has increasingly come into question. Although animal experimentation is regulated to prevent excessive suffering, opponents argue that these measures are insufficient. Proponents of animal research argue that knowledge gained from it and the various applications for it justify the unethical manner by which that knowledge is obtained. This argument neglects critical moral considerations rooted in deontology and utilitarianism which condemn the unethical use of animals for the advancement…

    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Consequentialism and non-consequntionlism are ethical theories that deal with the right and wrong of the actions. Consequentalist judges action based on the consequences the actions have. Non-consequetionlism judges actions on the intrinsic value not its consequences. When dealing with issues such as lying its more appropriate to look at It from a non-cosnequtiolist perspective. Consequtionlism views that all morality is, is producing the best consequences.…

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    A deontologist would say that those who chose materialistic items over charity is an immoral action, it would just be wrong not to help the hungry and poor. Because deontological theories are best understood in contrast to consequentialist ones. Meaning consequentialists believe that our acts or intentions to be morally permissible by the state affairs they promote. Consequentialists have to specify firstly the states of affairs that are intrinsically valuable which is often called, “the Good.” Then it is morally permissible to act in any way to “assess the good” and that is said to be prior to “the…

    • 100 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Life is difficult. It holds many moments of uncertainty instead of clarity. The field of dental hygiene is no exception to life’s uncertainty. There will be times when you have to figure out if you can actually treat a patient of not, or if you can treat the patient, what course of action will you take to treat them. Is it better to pull the tooth, or is it better to do a root canal?…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ockham Vs Aquinas

    • 1257 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The goodness or badness of actions has not been properly determined as a result of the various different opinions of people throughout time. People have tried to determine what causes an action to be good or bad, and numerous different explanations have been given. Among these people, there were several philosophers and theologians who gave their statement to explain what it is that determines the morality of an action. I will introduce two theologians, St. Thomas Aquinas and Ockham, as well as present each of their opinions on how the goodness or badness of an action can be determined. Aquinas introduces his concept in Summa Theologia, Question 18…

    • 1257 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This writing piece will define and discuss the statement, “More so than deontology, consequentialism appeals to modern intuitions about morality.” I shall explain why I believe this statement is not true basing my argument in two main postulates. To properly explain the meaning of this statement, there are four main concepts we need to clearly understand, namely, deontology, consequentialism, modern institutions, and morality. Deontology is defined by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as the moral theory that establishes what we should do and evaluate our choices whether they are allowed, required or forbidden (2007).…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The following paper argues in favor of Aristotle’s virtue ethics over Kantian deontology. In Kantian deontology, to be ethical is to follow one’s duty by acting on only the rules which one can at the same time rationally will that those actions become universal laws, while in Aristotelian virtue ethics, to be ethical is to develop and internalize virtuous habits until one fully becomes virtuous themselves. In turn, the ethical question of ‘What should I do?’ that deontology asks becomes ‘What should I be?’ with virtue ethics, placing emphasis on internal motivations rather than external actions.…

    • 1915 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Moral philosophy tries to explain the difference between right and wrong so that people can make good decisions. However, finding out what makes an action right is not so easy. For this reason, several different theories have evolved while trying to explain this issue. One of those theories is deontology, or duty-defined morality. Probably the most famous and influential spokesman of this theory is Immanuel Kant.…

    • 1255 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This is important because w focusing on what is morally acceptable, too often analysis pivots on the ‘worst case’ scenario, which is loss of human life. However, it can also be morally wrong to a lesser extent to impact the quality of life. Consequentialism is good at assessing moral acceptability because the primary focus is on the quality of human life, based on the consequence of an action. This paper interprets that deterrence must be justified in order for it to be morally acceptable. It must not be excessive and it must be used in self-defence.…

    • 2105 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays