How Far Is Deontology Persuasive as an Ethical Theory? (12 Marks)

How far is deontology persuasive as an ethical theory? (12 marks)

Kant's morality is straight forward and based on reason. There are clear criteria to assess what is moral and the moral value of an action comes from the action itself but many people would consider that thinking about the result of an action is an important part of ethical decision-making, and if the outcome doesn't make someone happy then most people would feel guilty.

inclinations. This means that we cannot assume that what is good for us is morally good and so good

How far is deontology persuasive as an ethical theory? (12 marks)

Kant's morality is straight forward and based on reason. There are clear criteria to assess what is moral and the moral value of an action comes from the action itself but many people would consider that thinking about the result of an action is an important part of ethical decision-making, and if the outcome doesn't make someone happy then most people would feel guilty.

Kant's theory makes clear that morality is about doing one's duty and not just following feelings or inclinations. This means that we cannot assume that what is good for us is morally good and so good for everyone else. However, Kant's system only seems to work if everyone has the same view of the final purpose and end of humans. So it depends on some notion of God to justify life and obeying moral law could put one at a real disadvantage when dealing with people who are wicked or less rational.

His ethics provides a strong set of principles to enforce moral conduct that we can all accept rape and theft. This makes it a persuasive theory because it ensures that people know acts such as rape and murder are completely wrong. Though there might be occasions where a government needs to sacrifice an individual for the greater good. 'Greatest good for the greatest number'. This cannot be permitted by Kant and may cause upset to some people.

The importance on treating people as ends highlights the idea of human rights which is extremely important today. This then makes deontology persuasive because all humans are all being treated in the same way and fairly. on the other hand, if an individual needed to be sacrificed this would put out the rule of treating people as means and would also not be a fair rule for the person being sacrificed.

The moral rightness or wrongness is essential through reason. This ensures that each action will be considered right or wrong and so helps an individual in making a moral decision. However, there may be times when duties conflict and right decision is not easy to make.

To conclude, there are problems with the internal workings of the categorical imperative for it to be a complete success and also Kant's theory upholds the idea of human rights in a way that