Deontological ethics grounds morality in a moral law or duty that moral agents are obligated to follow. It contrasts with consequentialism by focusing on whether actions are right or wrong based on adherence to moral rules or duties, rather than the consequences of actions. There are several approaches within deontological ethics, including religious ethics which sees morality as based on laws from a divine authority, Kantian ethics where moral duties are determined through human reason rather than an external authority, and contractualism where moral norms are binding because they are based on an implicit social contract.

1. Deontological Ethics

2. Key ideas
GROUNDS OF MORALITY
3
RELIGIOUS ETHICS
4
KANTIAN ETHICS
5
CONTRACTUALISM
10
AGENT CENTERED VS
PATIENT CENTERED
13

3. Grounds of Morality
Moral philosophical theory that
seeks to ground morality on a
moral law or norm which moral
agents have an obligation to
conform to.
It is law based , and that the
morally right and the good as
determined through relevant
norms.
Contrasted with
consequentialism as this
emphasizes not the
rightness or wrongness of
action based on a pre-
existing law or duty but
with the agent’s actions.

4. Deontological ethics
includes religious ethics
assumes morality to be based on a
law given by divine agency.

5. Religious ethics
 The source of moral
norms to be external to
human beings with our
duties determined by an
independent authority.
The moral law becomes a
constraint to moral agents
Stoic ethics
 Teaches that we ought to
live in harmony with the
laws of nature.
This assumes acceptance
and submission to laws
that are external to us.

6. Kantian ethics
 The moral law does not
depend on external
authority
Our duties derive from our
understanding of reason.
The moral law is a law
humans issue upon
themselves,
autonomously.
For Kant, fulfilling our
moral duties is not
being restrained by
some external law but
actually is acting on
our own essence –
freedom.
Moral law binds us. It is binding as a law
that we give ourselves.

7. Contractualism
• Moral norms as binding on moral agents
• Our obligations are binding because they are based on
a contract, which we have entered or can’t reasonably
reject. (John Rawls, 1979 “A Theory of Justice”
20XX presentation title 7

8. • Actions are right or wrong intrinsically.
• Their value is unconditional or absolute and not relative
to any further considerations beyond what the moral law
prescribes.
• Moral value is independent of any consequences an
action may have
20XX presentation title 8

9. DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS IS PERSON-RELATIVE
 “Different duties to different people.”
For reasons for action by persons may also be
person relative.
 Parents have duties to their children and to
others.
 What might be a reason for one to do
something as one’s duty may not be a
reason for another to do the same.

10. Agent-Centered vs Patient-Centered
Deontologism
The obligations of an agent are not
determined by reference to any
characteristics of the agent herself
or her actions.