This document provides an overview of deontology, a major ethical theory. It begins by defining deontology as an ethical theory that uses rules to determine right and wrong, emphasizing duties over consequences. It then lists the principles of deontology, such as universalizability and autonomy. It distinguishes between perfect and imperfect duties and differentiates deontology from utilitarianism by noting deontology is duty-based while utilitarianism is consequences-based. Finally, it provides examples of deontological rules and theories, such as divine command theory and rights-based ethics.

1. DEONTOL
OGY
ETHICS
GROUP 1

2.  WHAT IS DEONTOLOGY?
 PRINCIPLES OF DEONTOLOGY
 EXAMPLES OF DEONTOLOGY
 TYPES OF DUTIES
 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
UTILITARIANISM AND
DEONTOLOGY
 THEORIES OF DEONTOLOGY
ETHICS
R I G H T
W R O N
G
and

3. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
WHAT IS DEONTOLOGY?
Deontology – an ethical theory that uses rules to distinguish right from wrong. It places particular emphasis
on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions. It is often associated with the German
philosopher Immanuel Kant. He believed that ethical actions follow universal moral laws, such as “Don’t lie.
Don’t steal. Don’t cheat.”
The term deontology is derived from the Greek deon, “duty,” and logos, “science.” It is only about following
the rules and does not require weighing the cost and benefits of the situation.
Deontology is simple to apply. It just requires that people follow the rules and do their duty.
In deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristics of the action
itself, not because the product of the action is good. It holds at least some acts are morally obligatory
regardless of their consequences for human welfare. Descriptive of such ethics are such expressions as “Duty
for duty's sake,” “Virtue is its own reward,” and “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

4. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
PRINCIPLES OF DEONTOLOGY
The moral theory that
evaluates actions that are
done because of duty is
called Deontology. Duty-
based ethics teaches that
some acts are right or wrong
because of the sorts of
things they are, and people
have a duty to act
accordingly, regardless of
the good or bad
consequences that may be
produced. Some kinds of
action are wrong or right in
themselves, regardless of
the consequences
The principle of
universalizability is a
form of a moral test that
invites us to imagine a
world in which any
proposed action is also
adopted by everyone
else. Most notably, it is
the foundational
principle for
deontological, or duty-
based, ethics
Kant claims that the
property of the rational will
is autonomy, which is the
opposite of heteronomy.
These three Greek words
are instructive: autos,
heteros, and nomos which
mean “self”, “other”, and
“law”, respectively. Hence,
when we combine autos
means self-law (or self-
legislating) and heteronomy
means other law.
DUTY AND AGENCY AUTONOMY UNIVERSALIZABILITY

5. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
TYPES OF DUTIES
Perfect Duties
- are strict or inflexible duties. These
duties, such as the duty not to
commit suicide and the duty not to
make a false promise, which have no
exceptions. These are not okay to
break.
Imperfect duties
- are the laxer duties. These are
duties such as the duty to help people
in need (beneficence), which do have
exceptions. They are still duties, but
you have some choice about how to
fulfill them.

6. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
TYPES OF DUTIES
Maxim is a principle that underlies or
informs an act or set of actions. *Several
acts may satisfy the underlying maxim or
principle.
Example:
Maxim: “Try to reduce the risk or severity
of world hunger.”
Actions: Giving money, Volunteer, Start an
organization
Immanuel Kant
– a German philosopher who developed a branch
of ethics that was solely based upon one’s sense
of duty to act in the way people see as right.
Kant's deontology, sometimes called
deontological ethics, starts by
acknowledging that actions and their
outcomes are independent things.
The supreme categorical imperative is: “Act only
on that maxim through which you can at the same
time will that it should become a universal law.”
Kant considered that formulation of the
categorical imperative to be equivalent to: “So act
that you treat humanity in your own person and in
the person of everyone else always at the same
time as an end and never merely as means.”
Kant's deontology is guided by an individual's
own personal sense of morality, or what is right
and what is wrong to us.
Teleological Ethics
– also known as Consequentialist Ethics.
It is a theory of morality that derives duty
or moral obligation from what is good or
desirable as an end to be achieved.

7. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UTILITARIANISM AND DEONTOLOGY
In brief, deontology is patient-
centered, whereas utilitarianism is
society-centered while utilitarianism is
the greatest amount of good for the
greatest number of people.

8. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
THEORIES OF DEONTOLOGY ETHICS
3.
2
It is the idea that we
have a duty to obey
God, and therefore a
duty to do or not do
whatever God has
commanded us to do
or not do.

9. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
THEORIES OF DEONTOLOGY ETHICS
3.
2
According to this
theory, we each have
both permissions and
obligations that give us
agent-relative reasons
for action.
Agent-relative permission
 is a permission for some agent
to do some act even though
others may not be permitted to
aid that agent in doing of his
permitted action.
Agent-relative reason
 is an objective reason; it is a reason
relative to the agent whose reason it
is. It need not (although it may)
constitute a reason for anyone else.
Agent-relative obligation
 is an obligation for a particular agent
to take or refrain from taking some
action; and because it is agent-
relative, the obligation does not
necessarily give anyone else reason
to support that action.

10. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
THEORIES OF DEONTOLOGY ETHICS
3.
2
This is a rights-based rather
than duty-based. These ideas
are focused on people’s rights
as a reason to act or not to
act.
This is not to be confused with
more discrete rights – the
right against being killed or
being killed intentionally.
It is a right against being used
by another for the user’s or
others’ benefit.

11. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
THEORIES OF DEONTOLOGY ETHICS
• DUTIES AND
OBLIGATIONS
• PERSON ACTED
(DOER/ACTOR)
• AGENT-RELATIVE
 RIGHTS OF THE
INDIVIDUAL
 PESON AFFECTED
(VICTIM)
 AGENT-NEUTRAL
AGENT-CENTERED PATIENT-CENTERED

12. TYPES DIFFERENCE THEORIES
PRINCIPLES EXAMPLE
DEONTOLOGY
EXAMPLES OF DEONTOLOGY
1. CHEATING
4. DO NOT
LIE
3. RESPECT THE
ELDERS
2. DO NOT
KILL
6. RELIGIOUS
BELIEF
5. KEEPING
PROMISE
Suppose you’re a
software engineer and
learn that a nuclear
missile is about to
launch that might start a
war. You can hack the
network and cancel the
launch, but it’s against
your professional code
of ethics to break into
any software system
without permission.
And it’s a form of lying
and cheating.
Deontology advises not
to violate this rule.
However, in letting the
missile launch,
thousands of people
will die.
We all see killing or
murdering as the wrongest
human deed because we
are taught since our
childhood that killing
anybody including an
animal in a wrong act. For
instance, if we found a
killer in our society, we
all will hate him and
consider him wrong
because he/she has killed
somebody. But we don’t
know the detail behind the
situation. Maybe that
person has killed another
one in self-defense.
Elders must be
respected.
Respecting them is
considered Right. If
someone is found
disrespecting them,
(may have a genuine
reason behind the
disrespect) is
considered as a bad
person
“Do not lie” is the
most taught ethics
by our parents,
teachers, and
everyone around.
Lying is
considered
wrong, even if it
is to benefit or
bring about better
consequences.
If you have made a
promise, you must
keep it. For
example, you might
borrow money on
the promise to pay it
back, but you don’t
intend to pay it
back. So, making
false promises is
considered wrong.
Every person of the
religion must follow
the rules and
regulation of his
religion. For
example, if you’re a
Hindu you might
believe that it’s
wrong to eat beef;
this rule would be
part of our
deontology because
we think it is wrong
to eat beef.

13. REFERENCES
Bulaong Jr., Et al., (2018). ETHICS Foundation of
Moral Valuation, First Edition.
Quezon City: Rex Book Store, Inc.