Deontology, derived from the Greek words deon (duty) and logos (science or study of), is a major normative ethical theory that judges the morality of an action based on rules or duties.
Unlike consequentialist theories, such as utilitarianism, which determine the rightness or wrongness of an action by its outcomes, deontology asserts that some actions are morally obligatory regardless of their consequences.
The right action, in a deontological framework, is one that aligns with a set of moral duties or principles.
The lectures will embark on a comprehensive exploration of deontology, delving into its historical origins, articulating its core philosophical ideas, and critically examining the various criticisms it has encountered.
By navigating through these facets, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of one of the most influential and debated approaches to moral reasoning.
The allure of deontology lies in its intuitive appeal to concepts of fairness, rights, and obligations that seem fundamental to human moral experience.
Many individuals operate under the assumption that certain actions, like lying or killing an innocent person, are inherently wrong, irrespective of any potential good that might arise from them in specific circumstances.
Deontology provides a philosophical framework for such intuitions, grounding morality in rationally discoverable duties and universal principles.
At its heart, it champions the idea that morality is not about achieving good states of affairs but about acting in accordance with moral law. This perspective places a strong emphasis on the intentions of the moral agent and the intrinsic nature of the act itself.
The most prominent and influential figure in the history of deontology is undoubtedly Immanuel Kant, whose 18th-century work laid the systematic groundwork for modern deontological thought.
However, the roots of duty-based ethics can be traced further back, with elements present in various ancient philosophies and religious traditions.
Understanding these historical antecedents provides a richer context for appreciating the development and sophistication of deontological theories.
Subsequently, a thorough examination of the core tenets—such as the categorical imperative, the concept of good will, and the distinction between perfect and imperfect duties—will illuminate the intricate machinery of deontological ethics.
Finally, no philosophical theory is without its detractors, and deontology has faced significant criticisms regarding its rigidity, potential for conflicting duties, and perceived neglect of consequences.
Addressing these critiques is crucial for a balanced assessment of deontology's strengths and limitations as a guide to moral action in a complex world.
Well, my friends, I am out of a job. Every word you have read so far (except one) was generated by AI. I wanted to tell you at the end of the series that I used AI 100% for research and to write my lectures.
However, until now AI helped with the research and I wrote my own lecture. This time however the AI wrote a coherent and correct text word for word.
The smart chipset was not ChatGPT or DeepSeek, but Gemini of Google, but there was something strange. The assignment was:
"Write an essay of 3000 words about deontology, elaborating on (1) historical origins of the philosophy, (2) the core ideas of the philosophy, and (3) the criticism of this philosophy."
Gemini responded with: " I'm a language model and don't have the capacity to help with that." Then there was the option "Try it with Canvas."
I clicked it and that produced the coherent text I just have used as an introduction to Deontological ethics. Artificial Intelligence or not, it stays an important theme in our ethical discourse.
Thank you for your attention again.....
Main Sources:
MacMillan The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edition
TABLE OF CONTENT -----------------------------------------------------------------
1 - 100 Philosophers 9 May 2009 Start of
2 - 25+ Women Philosophers 10 May 2009 this blog
3 - 25 Adventures in Thinking 10 May 2009
4 - Modern Theories of Ethics 29 Oct 2009
5 - The Ideal State 24 Febr 2010 / 234
6 - The Mystery of the Brain 3 Sept 2010 / 266
7 - The Utopia of the Free Market 16 Febr 2012 / 383
8. - The Aftermath of Neo-liberalism 5 Sept 2012 / 413
9. - The Art Not to Be an Egoist 6 Nov 2012 / 426
10 - Non-Western Philosophy 29 May 2013 / 477
11 - Why Science is Right 2 Sept 2014 / 534
12 - A Philosopher looks at Atheism 1 Jan 2015 / 557
13 - EVIL, a philosophical investigation 17 Apr 2015 / 580
14 - Existentialism and Free Will 2 Sept 2015 / 586
15 - Spinoza 2 Sept 2016 / 615
16 - The Meaning of Life 13 Febr 2017 / 637
17 - In Search of my Self 6 Sept 2017 / 670
18 - The 20th Century Revisited 3 Apr 2018 / 706
19 - The Pessimist 11 Jan 2020 / 819
20 - The Optimist 9 Febr 2020 / 824
21 - Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream 8 Oct 2020 / 872
22 - A World Full of Patterns 1 Apr 2021 / 912
23 - The Concept of Freedom 8 Jan 2022 / 965
24 - Materialism 7 Sept 2022 / 1011
25 - Historical Materialism 5 Oct 2023 / 1088
26 - The Bonobo and the Atheist 9 Jan 2024 / 1102
27 - Artificial Intelligence 9 Feb 2024 / 1108
28 - Why Am I Here 6 Sept 2024 / 1139
The Discussion
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): it i improving all the time i guess
[13:20] herman Bergson: The essay this Canvas produced was really of professional quality and well documented....never got that from Chat of DeepS
[13:21] herman Bergson: Such a coherent essay
[13:21] herman Bergson: But let's get back to our main theme...
[13:22] herman Bergson: The big difference in ethics here is that we don't look at the result of our actions but to the intentions of our actions
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah, ike did i do something good or bad now?
[13:23] herman Bergson: What comes to mind is the psychology here
[13:23] herman Bergson: Utilitarianism is focused on pain and pleasure
[13:24] herman Bergson: understandable principle to guide your actions
[13:24] herman Bergson: but the Kantian theory is based on an intrinsic knowledge of what is good and bad....
[13:25] Max Chatnoir: Where does that knowledge come from?
[13:25] herman Bergson: it moves our judgment from the emotional drives to rational analysis
[13:25] herman Bergson: Yes Max, that is a good question.....
[13:26] herman Bergson: for it has these historical roots ....
[13:26] herman Bergson: What I find so fascinating is this transition in these roots...
[13:27] herman Bergson: this knowledge comes ..or came for instance from the Ten Commandments....
[13:27] herman Bergson: or from the Sharia
[13:27] herman Bergson: the basic idea is obedience to a higher authority....
[13:27] herman Bergson: obedience
[13:28] Max Chatnoir: Which are fairly universal. Don't lie, don't steal, don't kill, etc.
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:28] herman Bergson: and when you see it in a historic perspective in the development of the human mind....
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): = dont do bad stuff- be nice
[13:28] herman Bergson: yes, Max....
[13:28] 0rd: could we say that the golden rule of most religions of "do to others what you would like done to yourself," be like that too?
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes!
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): sounds logical
[13:29] Max Chatnoir: and reciprocal
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aha
[13:30] herman Bergson: the golden rule....we'll get to that theme in detail Ord
[13:30] herman Bergson: because that is what happened with our way of thinking
[13:30] herman Bergson: our mind moved from obedience based on religious commandments to justification and proof based on rationality
[13:31] herman Bergson: that was what Kant did...
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa ok
[13:31] herman Bergson: like our mind has moved from animistic and magical thinking to scientific thinking
[13:31] Max Chatnoir: But impossible not to embed that rationality in human experience.
[13:31] 0rd: the golden rule feels kinda rational maybe? Not just a blind following it feels... it sounds logical, like max and bejiita said
[13:32] herman Bergson: We'll look into this issue in greater detail....
[13:32] herman Bergson: indeed Ord....
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:32] herman Bergson: Kant also formulated a kind of Golden Rule to base moral decisions on...
[13:33] herman Bergson: We could look into that specific theme next lecture....
[13:33] herman Bergson: it is complex but fascinating
[13:33] Max Chatnoir: Oh, good, I think I can come on Thursday!
[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): fun fact, Kant in swedish means edge. Kant is surely on the right Kant
[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:34] Max Chatnoir: Interesting, Bejiita!
[13:34] herman Bergson: In Dutch it means "side" ... onder-kant = botomside
[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): 🙂
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa that also, edge/side
[13:35] herman Bergson: yes
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and he was on the right side surley
[13:35] herman Bergson: Interesting thing to keep in mind for today...
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): good
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): happy i can contribue ㋡
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm
[13:36] herman Bergson: one theory tries to base moral decisions on the pain / pleasure mechanism that is in the organism....
[13:36] Max Chatnoir: and a little math...
[13:36] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): what about Edonism?
[13:36] Max Chatnoir: hedonism?
[13:37] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): yes, sorry
[13:37] herman Bergson: deontology bases moral decisions on the inclination of Homo Sapiens to believe / accept / obey an external / internal authority... (a god or the ratio)
[13:37] Max Chatnoir: the ultimate alpha male
[13:38] herman Bergson: Eudaimonism is a precursor of a utilitarian way of thinking
[13:38] Max Chatnoir: Say some more
[13:39] herman Bergson: It aims at achieving a pleasurable state of existence...
[13:39] herman Bergson: It got the bad image because others said...hedonism and eudaimonism only go for lust...
[13:40] herman Bergson: but that is an incorrect interpretation....
[13:40] herman Bergson: I'd say s that eudaimonism is closer to Buddhist or Zen
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:41] herman Bergson: The Stoics were closer to a rational explanation of the good....
[13:41] herman Bergson: for them the best life was ..live according to the laws of nature
[13:42] Max Chatnoir: Who makes the laws of nature?
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nature itself
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): physics, chemistry ect,
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its just there
[13:42] herman Bergson: I didn't :-)
[13:42] herman Bergson: Nature just is and man is part of nasture
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:43] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): The theory of the good savage, then
[13:43] herman Bergson: Like you can't ignore the cold or heat....you have to adjust to it
[13:43] Max Chatnoir: Yes, there is something to that.
[13:43] 0rd: But is nature just a word that put together many separate different things, or is nature, like Nature, like a Single Entity?
[13:43] Max Chatnoir: You can't freeze or starve to death
[13:44] Max Chatnoir: Well you CAN, but let's not.
[13:44] herman Bergson: That is Rousseau, I think....and also in line with the belief in the harmony with nature
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): at least we can control it, humans can build machines (refrigerator, heat punps) to control it but for that we always need to add energy, its not free
[13:45] herman Bergson: Nature is not a single entity....
[13:45] herman Bergson: but see these ideas in their historic context
[13:46] 0rd: We could say we dont "control" it in the sense it does everything we want, but that we "manage" it, in the sense we understand how it works and works WITH IT so in the end we can achiece what we imagineed
[13:46] herman Bergson: people 2500 years ago looked at a completely different way at nature than we do now
[13:46] Max Chatnoir: I just read this book: The Edible History of Humanity.
[13:46] Max Chatnoir: About agriculture and also energy sources, like coal.
[13:47] herman Bergson: Major changes in human life and organisation
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:47] Max Chatnoir: Yes!
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): industrial revolution
[13:48] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): nature was not always benign
[13:48] herman Bergson: I'd say it still isnt....storms tornadoes, earthquakes floods etc are still there
[13:49] herman Bergson: not to mention epidemics and pandemics
[13:49] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): bugs
[13:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): true nature is often cruel
[13:49] herman Bergson: even in computers!
[13:49] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): well, it doesn't care about us
[13:49] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): we are a pest, in some way
[13:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): it does not know about ut´s
[13:50] herman Bergson: right, Junio
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): us
[13:50] Junio Valerio (sticaatsi): we are a force of nature too
[13:50] herman Bergson: Only to ourselves then Junio....
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but many believe it does and so the concept of God is born
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and religion
[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that everything bad earthquakes tornadoes ect are God punishing us
[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): not to mention the great flood if now that ever happened for real
[13:51] herman Bergson: That is so old-fashioned Bejiita :-))
[13:52] Max Chatnoir: Oh, I think there probably was a flood somewhere...
[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes but still we do it however today its about power and oppression mostly like the mullas in Iran and afghanistan how they threat women
[13:52] 0rd: that is true Bejiita! Then, for those who believe or know God, it seems logical that them Nature is closely realted with God, if not that Nature (as a single entity) may also be God, or like, "the manifestation of God" maybe
[13:53] herman Bergson: Well....I think we are now far enough off track to conclude our discussion :-))
[13:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): if I would see god he would appear in the Large Hadron Collider if anywhere, where the laws of nature are pushed to their limits
[13:53] Max Chatnoir: Good start Herman!
[13:54] herman Bergson: So , get ready for the lecture of Thusrsday, for it might be a somewhat difficult one :-)
[13:54] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i watch it running right now and i dont see god in there
[13:54] herman Bergson: Thank you all
[13:54] herman Bergson: Class dismissed...
[13:54] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank you Herman
[13:54] Max Chatnoir: Thanks, Hermann, and your AI alter ego!
