However, as all these are opposed to consequentialism, it is important to note that some of these approaches are not necessarily against systemic. Jan 29, 20 deontological theories hold that some acts are always wrong, even if the act leads to an admirable outcome. The term deontology is derived from the greek deon, duty, and logos, science. For as we shall now explore, the strengths of deontological approaches lie. The first of the two approaches will be deontological approach and the other will be utilitarianism approach. Weaknesses 1 if morality is an end in itself, it raises the question. Two realworld cases that focus on accounting fraud as the ethical conception. In deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good. In moral philosophy, deontological ethics or deontology from greek. The deontological approach of grisez in particular has also shaped the moral teaching of pope john paul ii, especially his recent encyclical, veritatis splendor. Deontological theories necessarily generate categorical imperatives that is, duties independent of any theory of good. Deontology or deontological ethics is an approach to ethics that focuses on the rightness or wrongness of actions themselves, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions consequentialism or to the character and habits of the actor virtue ethics.
An excellent introduction to the deontological approach to ethics. It is an ethical system primarily concerned with ones duty. The axiology of environmental ethics a companion to. Apr 17, 2009 the following is an excerpt from article de1971 from the christian research institute. A narrative approach to environmental virtue ethics that environmental ethics is in complete without a robust virtue ethics. Kant put obligation as the reason to be moral, however some might question why the motivation of love and compassion shouldnt be put above this. The three schools are virtue ethics, consequentialist ethics, and deontological or dutybased ethics. Each approach provides a different way to understand ethics. P129 ethics for environment and development soas university of.
Apr 18, 2020 robert elliot discussed humancentred, nonhumancentred and consequentialist environmental ethics before this section and virtuebased environmental ethics afterwards. Maureen junkerkenny, in ethics for graduate researchers, 20. Indeed, each of the branches of deontological ethicsthe agentcentered, the patientcentered, and the contractualistcan lay claim to being kantian. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Deontological ethical theories tend to focus on doing whats right and on moral duties, principles, rules and rights, largely independent of consequences. But realworld environmental examples are scattered and brief.
Deontological ethics deontology is the view that because there are moral constraints on promoting overall best consequences, sometimes the right action is not the one whose consequences are best. Environmental ethics this research will be based on two types of theories. The hedonic calculus was his method to determine the amount of pleasures. This extract comes from a chapter on normative ethics in a book on environmental philosophy. Broad in his 1930 book, five types of ethical theory. There are ethical dilemmas we realise, such as a conflict between. Most commonly, moral status is attributed on the basis of animals subjective. It just requires that people follow the rules and do their duty. Hale presents his deontological approach to environmental ethics as revolutionary and its adoption as the key to environmental progress.
A narrative approach to environmental virtue ethics that. Ethics applies to topics as mundane as doing your taxes and as momentous as how to structure government. We might note a parallel strategy in much deontological environmental ethics. Part of the excellent blackwell series, this book contains concise selections of both classic texts and modern articles related to deontology. This chapter summarizes consequentialist theory in its application to environmental ethics. This book is a work in progress that is offered for free to anyone interested in moral philosophy.
Coverage includes philosophical ethics and environmental public policy, the environment in western thought from the bible through thoreau, aesthetic and. Deontological ethics, in philosophy, ethical theories that place special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions. Deontology by branch doctrine the basics of philosophy. There are, for palmer, two key problems with a process approach to environmental ethics. Ethical perspectives on the environmental impact of property. Revisionism a second main approach to roman catholic ethics since the council is revisionism or proportionalism. One ought to keep ones promises and be loyal to ones friends. Like deontology, this approach places great emphasis on human actions. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. But most of all, this environmental ethics textbook shows you how we can work together to build a better future.
A strong deontological animal ethic ultimately aims at the abolition of nonhuman animal use and exploitation in agriculture, entertainment, science and medical research, the fur industry, and so forth. Lifeboat ethics is closely related to environmental ethics. Dec 10, 2007 in sum, character and environment is an excellent addition to the literature in virtue ethics and in environmental ethics. Deontology wiley blackwell readings in philosophy book 9 and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Starting from the necessity for all life of air, water, and food, the book revalues the relation of ethics and environmentalism.
Can utilitarianism be the best approach to environmental ethics without it. One key approach to environmental ethics focuses on the moral status, and ethical treatment, of individual animals. In his influential 1983 book, the case for animal rights, regan develops a theory of animal ethics along deontological lines. Actions in deontology are always judged independently of their outcome. In them the author describes the different approaches to decision making in the area of morality such as utilitarian and deontological ethics. The language that we employ within the moral domain is an essential ingredient. I unlike consequentialism, it is highly unsituational. Environmental ethics stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Jun 25, 2019 deontology or deontological ethics is the branch of ethics in which people define what is morally right or wrong by the actions themselves, rather than referring to the consequences of those actions, or the character of the person who performs them. Deontological ethics kantian ethics rests on two major claims. This points towards a related question raised by stones book 1972 titled. Thus, deontological ethics maintains that actions are not justified by their consequences.
This was an empirical observation people desire pleasure and seek to avoid pain. Deontological ethics i deontological ethics says that being good consists in following the right rulesmeeting all your obligations. Consequentialism in environmental ethics oxford handbooks. It examines both anthropocentric and nonanthropocentric claims about what has value, as well as. Proposed solutions to issues such as climate change, resource depletion and accelerating extinctions have included. Thus, to a deontologist, whether a situation is good or. Rather, factors other than good outcomes determine the rightness of actions. The chief characteristic of deontological theories is.
H p mcdonald this book calls for a new approach to ethics. In this paper we look at business ethics from a deontological perspective. These theories will be the guiding approaches that will be used in order to come up with the real issue at hand and also be able to provide a solution for the same. Kant is responsible for the most prominent and wellknown form of deontological ethics. Deontology or deontological ethics is the branch of ethics in which people define what is morally right or wrong by the actions themselves, rather than referring to the consequences of those actions, or the character of the person who performs them. Also known as consequentialist ethics, it is opposed to deontological ethics from the greek deon. If any philosopher is regarded as central to deontological moral theories, it is surely immanuel kant. An act can be morally bad but may unintentionally lead to a favorable outcome.
It discusses several types of consequentialist theories, including. As the rights approach such as kants deontological ethics principle upholds. Deontological ethics are illiberal and come at the expense of free thought and human autonomy. Robert elliot discussed humancentred, nonhumancentred and consequentialist environmental ethics before this section and virtuebased environmental ethics afterwards. Kantian duty based deontological ethics seven pillars. The word deontology comes from the greek word deon, meaning obligation or duty. The constraints that deontological theories emphasize are familiar from our everyday experience of morality. Teleological ethics, teleological from greek telos, end. This approach is concerned with equality and dignity, as expressed in right and norms, and.
A virtueoriented approach to environmental ethics ifilosofie. We address the theory of ethical decisionmaking and deontological ethics for business executives and explore the concept of moral duty as transcending mere gain and profit maximization. Some include contextual concerns as a separate category. Selection from a companion to the philosophy of technology book. Most ethics texts categorise deontological, teleological and virtue ethics as distinct approaches. Brian treanor, one of those philosophers who have integrated virtue ethics into environmental ethics, writes in his book emplotting virtue. A narrative approach to environmental virtue ethics that environmental ethics is in complete without a robust virtue ethics component. Utilitarianism is the best approach to environmental issues. This ethical approach is sometimes contrasted with a consequentialist, or utilitarian approach, where the morality of an action is judged by its consequences. Environmental ethics and behavioural change takes a practical approach to environmental ethics with a focus on its transformative potential for students, professionals, policy makers, activists, and concerned citizens.
The central insight that gives deontology its name is that in moral reflection, the self discovers that an act ought to be done. Beyond utilitarianism and deontology 25 justice in the economy, either by ensuring equal participation in markets through enhancing competition, or by ensuring a decent livelihood for everyone through. First, hale never clarifies why deontology on its own will lead inevitably toward environmental protection. Utilitarianism is a teleological theory and would look at the purpose or the end goal of an action. Deontological center for the study of ethics in the. Humanitarian arguments for war in iraq by thomas cushman, kant in 90 minutes by paul strath. Utilitarianism is the best approach to environmental ethics discussenvironmental ethics surrounds the ethical relationship between people and the world we live in. The aim is not reformation of current practices or reduced suffering. It makes a convincing case for a distinctive moral epistemology that grounds a virtueoriented framework of ethical thinking which facilitates reasoned debate on many specific issues. Different approaches to ethics article theology of work. Deontological environmental ethics environmental responsibility.
History of the origins of environmental ethics the inspiration for environmental ethics was the first earth day in 1970 when environmentalists started urging philosophers who were involved with environmental groups to do something about environmental ethics. Environmental ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the moral relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its nonhuman contents. The rest of the book discusses issues such as managing public lands, sustainability and responsibility to the future, anthropocentric and biocentric ethics and the inherent value of life, the land. Deontological ethics wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Deontological ethics is a theory of morality based on a nonconsequentialist view of people and moral decisionmaking. Today id like to discuss deontological ethics, the notion that an act or behaviour is right or wrong in and of itself, irrespective of the consequences of that act. Other ethical perspectives put forward include common morality theory, rights theory, virtue ethics, feminist theories, and ethics of care, but these will not be discussed. Utilitarianism is the best approach to environmental. This anthology of some 64 readings includes excerpts of works by philosophers and nonphilosophers and classical as well as contemporary writings.
Process ethics, palmer argues, is closer to individualist consequentialism than individualist deontological environmental ethics. This approach tends to fit well with our natural intuition about what is or isnt ethical. Utilitarianism and deontology have been the mainstream of the western. It is often called the deontological approach from the greek deon for. Environmental ethicsthe study of ethical questions raised by human relations with the nonhuman environmentemerged as an important subfield of philosophy during the 1970s. Environmental ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the. Utilitarianism applied to environmental ethics by christopher.
Agency is not only a straightforward drive, a movement of expansion, but also governed by a reflection that. Deontological center for the study of ethics in the professions. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory and therefore when evaluating ethics and the environment they would look at the end result and not necessarily the action. This is a fine anthology on this aspect of moral philosophy. The term deontological was first used to describe the current, specialised definition by c. The command approach asks, is this action right or wrong in itself, according to the rules. Feb 20, 2014 on the other hand the deontological approach kantian ethics has sense of duty as a necessary ingredient for decision making, does it mean that duty is a necessary component for decision making that utilitarianism lacks altogether. All strong theories of animal rights agree with regans anti. The axiology of environmental ethics among philosophers and environmentalists, much discussion has centered on the problem of what matters morally in evaluating acts with an impact on the environment. Deontological dutybased ethics are concerned with what people do, not with the consequences of their actions. An introduction to environmental philosophy introduces you to ethical theory in new and easily understood ways. Here, the emphasis on acts rather than as in utilitarianism on. Deontological ethics are known as duty ethics ee 4. Older usage of the term goes back to jeremy bentham, who coined it before 1816 as a synonym of dicastic or censorial ethics ethics based on judgement.
These books have been selected because they are accessible to. Deontological ethics there are two major ethics theories that attempt to specify and justify moral rules and principles. Because utilitarians recognize only the intrinsic value of pleasure or desire satisfaction, the commitment to intrinsic value in environmental ethics has also driven a rather deep wedge between environmental ethics and the ethics of utilitarianism. Suppose an individual has the right to use, sell or dispose of his personal car then the other persons have the correlative. The word deontology comes from the greek roots deon, which means duty, and logos, which means science. There is a good balance of the classic and the modern. List of ethics topics list of ethicists deontological ethics from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia redirected from deontology deontological ethics or deontology greek. Individualist deontological approaches to environmental ethics refer to that are used by ethicists that reject consequentialism and are called individualist since ethical focus is given more to individuals as compared to systems or collectives. Studying ethics can give you deep insights into what people. Unlike consequentialism, which judges actions by their results, deontology doesnt require weighing the costs and benefits of a situation. History of the origins of environmental ethics essay 1045 words 5 pages. Deontological ethics stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Pdf contested frameworks in environmental ethics researchgate. The negative rights theory asserts that an action is right if it protects the individual from harm or unwarranted interference from other people or the government while exercising his right.
130 1274 1179 250 1227 1113 1548 567 101 928 328 1515 271 742 451 1114 449 290 766 862 963 207 1295 1225 626 626 613 620 1268 964 1378 1250 123 796 1482 862 438 699 471 895 711