Deontological Ethics

1. Deontological Ethics
Christine Wandolo

2. Ethics
Branch of philosophy that deals with the
moral dimension of human life (Brody, 1983)
Involves systematizing, defending, and
recommending concepts of right and wrong
behavior.

3. Ethical theories
An ethical theory includes an account of
value, obligation and rights, but these
concepts are not of equal importance for each
theory.
Divided into three general subject areas:
1. Meta-ethics
2. Normative ethics
3. Applied ethics

4. Meta-ethics:
searches for origins or causes of right and wrong.
focuses on what morality itself is.
Normative Ethics:
study of ethical action.
right and wrong are found in an individual's
behavior.
Applied Ethics:
right and wrong can be found within scenarios.
philosophical examination of particular issues in
private and public life that are matters of moral
judgment.

5. Theories that base obligations and rights on
values are called teleological.
Theories that do not base all obligations and
rights upon values are called deontological
theories.

6. Deontological Ethics
Deontological - from Greek word deon, “that which
is binding.”
Deontological approach: also called rule-based
morality.
Proposes that an action is right if it conforms to a
proper moral rule.
Examples: prohibition, action towards people, reward
or punishment

7. Concept of obligation or duty is central for
deontologists, but not all deontological theories
take duty as primary.
Example: Natural-rights theory takes rights as
fundamental and establishes obligations or
duties on the basis of rights. Kant’s theory does
not establish all duties on the basis of rights.

8. Types of Deontological Theories
1. Agent - centered: morality is intensely
personal
2. Patient - centered: rights based
3. Contractarian: contract/promise based
4. Divine command: command of God
5. Kant’s duty-based ethics

9. Kant’s Duty-based Ethics
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) - born in Königsberg
East Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia).
Sought to answer the question:
“what is good?”
Answer: Good will
According to Kant, an action could only count as
the action of a good will if it satisfied the test of the
“Categorical Imperative.”

10. Categorical Imperative
A rule that is true in all circumstances.
Tells us how we ought to behave irrespective
of our inclinations.
States the principle that you should ‘act only
according to that maxim by which you can at
the same time will that it should become a
universal law for all rational beings.’

11. Categorical imperative comes in two versions:
1. Our responsibility includes following
maxims that make us law-abiding members of
the society.
“Act only on a maxim that you can at the
same time will to become a universal law.”
E.g., do not plagiarize; public relations
professional

12. 2. “Act so as to treat humanity in oneself and
others only as an end in itself, and never
merely as a means.”
- People treated as valuable, as an end in
themselves, not just in order to achieve
something else.
- People should not be tricked, manipulated or
bullied.
e.g. poor treatment of workers

13. Application of Deontology
Is abortion right? How about euthanasia?
Punishment/death penalty?
Media Perspective:
i. Is it appropriate to lie to tell a story?
ii. Staging shots and reconstructions
iii.Manipulating pictures through Photoshop
iv.Cheating with effects

14. Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
1. Value for humans
2. Some acts are always wrong
3. Faster decision making, consequentialist
4. Has moral laws that hold universally
5. Clarity
6. Rationality
7. Basis for human rights

15. 1. Absolutist; thus inflexible
2. Reduction of overall happiness of the world
3. Does not deal well where duties are in conflict
4. Moral law: why should we believe that there is
objective morality?
5. Anthropocentric
6. Forming a maxim is difficult, e.g. “do not tell
lies” or “do not expose others to violence.”
Weaknesses

16. Conclusion
• Professional codes of practice are useful and
provide general guidance in journalistic
practice, but they can neither contemplate
every eventuality nor resolve hard cases
• Journalists should be sensitive to ethical
matters
• Use of theories which will not compromise
journalistic standards

17. The End