Braddock, Clarence, and Mark Tonelli. "Physician Aid-in-Dying: Ethical Topic in Medicine." Ethics in Medicine. University of Washington, 2009. Web. 3 March 2015.
The world is made up of many different cultures, so this setting would allow humans to collaborate under a universal bureaucracy. This would be advantageous because it would allow fair and just consequences for every individual. However, the disadvantage with Deontology is that there are no exceptions for an individual in this ethical dilemma. When collaborating different cultures, it may be complex to diffuse any strong ties to beliefs. This brings an important point because the disadvantage in the dilemma is not giving the husband an option to save his wife. In contrast, an advantage to Utilitarianism is that an action is justified if the result has a positive outcome. In other words, "Utilitarians tell us to do
Deontology refers to the judgment of the morality of an action based on the action’s adherence to a rule or rules. The first philosopher to define deontological principles was Immanuel Kant, who had founded critical philosophy. Kant held that nothing is good without the actual intent being good, and if one acts in accordance with the law, rather than what he thinks. He saw moral law as an unconditioned command and believed it should be established by human reason alone. Even now, with accordance to the law, people are bound to do things within the law, and following the law is considered ethical.
According to deontology, people have an obligation that is imposed upon them by the duty to perform certain actions without due consideration on their consequential outcomes, (Braswell, McCarthy & McCarthy, 2011). This explains the instances where it is morally justified to perform a certain action whose pain is greater than the collective pleasures that can be derived from it, (Braswell, McCarthy & McCarthy, 2011). One of the major contributors to the deontological ethical theory is Emmanuel Kant. Deontologists include other ideologies that are inherently lacking among the consequentialist theories, particularly the utilitarianism. These aspects include the duty to act as well as a consideration of the intention to do what is right against what is wrong, (Braswell, McCarthy & McCarthy, 2011). Deontological theorists argue that good intentions or good will is what informs the moral worth of an action and not just a consideration of the
In this assignment we are to determine the moral difference between Deontological moral theory and Utilitarianism with regard to the changing of lives on a chance twist of fate with the brakes blowing out of the Trolley excursion. To turn or not to turn that is the question. Weather it is nobler of the heart and mind to follow the path of one and not the other remains a personal choice.
Deontology is derived from the Greek word meaning duty. An action is considered morally right when it is a part of a person’s duties or requirements. As long as a person is following the duties, they are considered to be performing morally. Typically, this list of duties or rules are created by God in a deontological system. By acting with morals a person is obeying God’s list of duties. Christopher Bennet writes that, “Deontology, such as Kant’s ethics, there are certain types of act, such as rape, murder, theft and assault that are always wrong” (Bennet, 2010, p. 33). For example, if it is morally wrong to kill, killing is then always wrong, even if that means allowing a person to suffer. Kant believes that a person will come to know what is right and wrong by rational thought. Deontology is the most common moral theory that is widely practiced in the world, especially within healthcare. The negative side of a deontological system is that it doesn’t allow resolution between two contradictory moral duties. Looking at the example above, it is morally wrong to kill, but it is also a moral duty to not allow someone to suffer.
Butts, J. B. & Rich, K. L. (2013). Nursing ethics across the curriculum and into practice (3rd ed.). Burlington. MA: Jones and Bartlett.
It is not only fascinating to understand the myriads of ethical issues in health care, but also to recognize the challenges inherent in these issues. To make informed decisions or judgments in the resolution of some of these ethical challenges will require a good knowledge and understanding of ethics and its application. The import of this course to me can not be overemphasized. It is great to be instructed by a Registered Nurse, who also is ...
A deontologist asserts that you should do your duty even if you or others suffer as a consequence. Deontology is seen as an obligation to protect regardless of the impact it has on others, whether it be people, animals, and/or the environment and so on. “Deontology focuses on the duties and obligations one has in carrying out actions rather than on the consequences of those actions” (Mosser, 2013). According to deontologist Immanuel Kant, when doing your duty as a deontologist there are “categorical imperatives” that should be followed. In other words there are exceptions for why one is not taking action. “All imperatives command either hypothetically or categorically” (Kant,
Physicians’ are often faced with dilemmas that will ultimately challenge their ethical standpoints. Providing care to patients suffering from a terminal illness can ultimately result in the request to end pain and suffering. The requests often trigger very sensitive and emotional issues that need to be dealt with amongst the physician and the patient. In spite of having to consider the patient’s wish, the physician has a responsibility to the patient to thoroughly analyze the patient’s condition. This procedure can include reviewing medical history, treatments, and evaluating patient concerns. Determining the underlying reasons for the patients request is important to suggest alternative interventions. The physician is faced with the ethical
Peto, R. (2008). Why did you do it like that? Examining clinical decisions. Paediatric Nursing,
These are two ethical theories, they both have similarities and differences. While Consequentialism usually focuses on the moral worth of an act, deontological theories usually focus on judging the actual actions themselves. According to Peterson (2013) consequentialism usually focuses on the consequences of taking some decision or the results of a specific ethical decision that was chosen by an individual. It is about how many people will benefit from the act that will be taken by the police. This means if the police are making the decision, according to this theory, they need to ask themselves what exactly they want to do and who is the beneficiary of the action (Carlson, 2013). Deontology more less is the sense of morality, what is right and what is deemed wrong.
So, knowing that deontology creates a valuable beginning for a strong moral theory, one can simply interpret the theory less strictly. Deontology can be a quite appealing theory when not taken so literally. Clearly, one has morals they consider more important than others. If the theory is adjust for this idea, the notion of moral dilemmas is eliminated and one would be allowed to lie if it saved lives. Deontology when looked at loosely is simply a moral theory that says we have morals and we need to consider them when making decisions. Therefore, one may conclude that the overall principles or deontology are correct and that this moral theory should not be dismissed.
Utilitarianism’s advocacy of happiness by any means is what concerns me about the theory. I believe that happiness is a great thing, but a thing that can only really come from inside an individual. In contrast, Deontology emphasizes a duty to respect other’s autonomy. I take this to mean that people are their own advocates—Deontology promotes fairness, justice, and equal opportunity at happiness rather than guaranteeing happiness itself. It isn’t society’s duty to ensure everyone’s happiness, but rather to ensure that all people are given the opportunity to be happy. This means doing away with excessive income gaps and creating opportunity for advancement in society or social mobility, bringing the...