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Guidelines
Writing Assignment Grading Criteria
Content (60%)
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Response demonstrates a clear understanding of the key
elements of assignment questions.
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Response thoroughly covers the elements in a substantive
manner.
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Response demonstrates critical thinking and analysis.
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Content is complete and accurate.
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Introduction and conclusion provide adequate information on
the given topic.
Organization (20%)
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Paper structure is clear and easy to follow.
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Ideas flow in a logical sequence.
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Introduction provides a sound introduction to the topic and
previews major points.
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Paragraph transitions are logical and support the flow of
thought throughout the paper.

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The conclusion thoroughly reviews the major points.
Writing Style, Grammar, APA Format (20%)
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Sentences are well constructed, complete, clear, and concise.
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Words used are specific an unambiguous.
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The tone is appropriate to the content and assignment.
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Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct.
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APA guidelines (6th edition) are followed, such as headers,
citations, references, etc.
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Effective use of aids such as sections, summaries, table of
contents, indices, and appendices (if appropriate).
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Ethics: Theory and Practice
Jacques P. Thiroux
Keith W. Krasemann

Chapter Three
Nonconsequentialist (Deontological) Theories of Morality
Nonconsequentialist TheoriesConsequences do not, and should
not, enter into our judging of whether actions or people are
moral or immoralWhat is moral or immoral is decided upon the
basis of some standard or standards of morality other than
consequences
Act Nonconsequentialist TheoriesMajor assumption: There are
no general moral rules or theories, but only particular actions,
situations, and people about which we cannot generalize
Act Nonconsequentialist TheoriesOne must approach each
situation individually to decide the right action to takeDecisions
are “intuitionistic,” which means a person decides on a
particular situation based on his or her intuition about what is
right
IntuitionismReasons in support of moral intuitionism:Any well -
meaning person seems to have an immediate sense of right and

wrongHuman beings had moral ideas and convictions long
before a system of ethics was created
IntuitionismOur reasoning upon moral matters usually is used to
confirm our intuitionsOur reasoning can go wrong in relation to
moral issues as well as others, and then we must fall back on
our moral insights and intuitions
IntuitionismArguments against IntuitionismIntuition lacks
scientific or philosophical respectabilityThere is no proof that
we have an inborn, innate sense of morality
IntuitionismArguments against IntuitionismIntuition is immune
to objective criticism, because it applies only to the
possessorHuman beings without moral intuition have no others
or establish them on other grounds
Criticism of Act NonconsequentialismHow can we know, with
no other guides, that what we feel will be morally correct?How
will we know when we have acquired sufficient facts to make a
moral decision?With morality so highly individualized, how can
we know we are doing the best thing for everyone else involved
in a particular situation?

Criticism of Act NonconsequentialismCan we really rely upon
nothing more than our momentary feelings to help us make our
moral decisions?How will we be able to justify our actions
except by saying that it felt like the right thing to do?
Rule Nonconsequentialist TheoriesThere are or can be rules that
are the only basis for morality and consequences do not
matterThe following of the rules is, itself, moralMorality cannot
be applied to consequences that ensue from following the rules
Divine Command TheoryThe Divine Command Theory states
that morality is based on something higher that mundane human
eventsMorality is based on the existence of an all-good being or
beings who are supernatural
Divine Command TheoryThey have communicated to human
beings what they should and should not do morallyMorality
requires humans to follow those commands
Criticisms of the Divine Command TheoryThe theory does not
provide a rational foundation for the existence of a supernatural

being and therefore not for morality eitherEven if we could
prove conclusively the existence of a supernatural being, how
could we prove that this being was morally trustworthy?
Criticisms of the Divine Command TheoryHow are we to
interpret these commands even if we accept the existence of a
supernatural?Rules founded upon the Divine Command Theory
may be valid, but they need to be justified on some other, more
rational basis
Kant’s Duty EthicsKant believed that nothing was good in itself
except as a good willWill is the unique human ability to act in
accordance with moral rules, laws, or principles regardless of
interests or consequences
Establishing Morality by Reasoning AloneKant argued that it is
possible by reasoning alone to set up valid absolute moral rules
that have the same force as indisputable mathema tical
truthsSuch truths must be logically consistent, not self-
contradictoryThey must also be universalizable
ImperativesThe Categorical Imperative: An act is immoral if the
rule that would authorize it cannot be made into a rule for all
human beings to followThe Practical Imperative: No human

being should be thought of or used merely as a means for
someone else’s ends; each human being is a unique end
Duty Rather Than InclinationOnce moral rules have been
discovered to be absolutes, human beings must obey them out of
a sense of duty rather than follow their inclinations
Criticism of Kant’s Duty EthicsAlthough Kant showed that
some rules would become inconsistent when universalized, this
does not tell us which rules are morally validKant never showed
us how to resolve conflicts between equally absolute rulesKant
did not distinguish between making an exception to a rule and
qualifying a rule
Criticism of Kant’s Duty EthicsSome rules can be universalized
without inconsistency yet still have questionable moral
valueKant answered this criticism by means of the reversibility
criterion, that is, the would-you-want-this-done-to-you idea
(Golden Rule)But the reversibility criterion suggests a reliance
upon consequences, which goes against Kant’s system
Criticism of Kant’s Duty EthicsKant seems to have emphasized
duties over inclinations, in stating that we must act from a sense
of duty rather than from our inclinationsBut he gave us no rule

for what we should do when our inclinations and duties are the
same
Ross’s Prima Facie DutiesRoss agreed with Kant as to the
establishing of morality on a basis other than consequences but
disagreed with Kant’s overly absolute rulesHe established Prima
Facie duties that all human beings must adhere to, unless there
are serious reasons why they should not
Ross’s Prima Facie DutiesSome Prima Facie
duties:FidelityReparationGratitudeJusticeBeneficenceSelf-
improvementNonmaleficence
Principles to Resolve
Conflicting DutiesAlways act in accord with the stronger prima
facie dutyAlways act in such a way as to achieve the greatest
amount of prima facie rightness over wrongness
Criticisms of Ross’s TheoryHow are we to decided which duties
are prima facie?On what basis are we to decide which take
precedence over the rest?How can we determine when there is
sufficient reason to override one prima facie duty with another?

Difficulty with Consequentialist Theories
in GeneralConsequentialist theories demand that we discover
and determine all of the consequences of our actions or
rulesThat is virtually impossibleDo consequences or ends
constitute all of morality?
General Criticisms of Nonconsequentialist TheoriesCan we
avoid consequences when we are trying to set up a moral
system?Is it entirely possible to exclude consequences from an
ethical system?
General Criticisms of Nonconsequentialist TheoriesWhat is the
real point of any moral system if not to do good for oneself,
others, or both and if not to create a moral society in which
people can create and grow peacefully with a minimum of
unnecessary conflict?
General Criticisms of Nonconsequentialist TheoriesHow do we
resolve conflicts among moral rules that are equally
absolute?Any system that operates on a basis of such rigid
absolutes as does rule nonconsequentialism closes the door on
further discussion of moral quandaries

Ethics
PHI 1600
Second Written Assignment
Read chapter 3, watch Week 6 Lecture, and watch the films
"Gone Baby Gone" and "Sleepers". Pick one movie and apply
Kant's moral philosophy to judge the MAIN FINAL action. For
“Gone Baby Gone” judge Patrick’s final decision and for
“Sleepers” judge the priest’s final decision. Judging any other
action in the movie is an automatic zero. 500 words minimum in
MLA format. Due on April 11th.
*You must apply Kant's 3 premises (course materials) for 50
points and Michael Sandel's 3 contrasts (Week 6 Lecture "Mind
your Motive") for 50 points.

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