Advantages and Disadvantages of Utilitarianism and Deontology Essay Example

good may be to euthanize old people or deformed babies; yet this does not seem ethically permissible.  When consequences determine ethical behavior, we face the risk of overlooking the rights of the individual in order to achieve a “greater” good.

Deontological theory is advantageous in that it is able to ground ethics upon law and duty.  In this framework, we are always able to know exactly how we should act in a certain situation because we have either a theoretical foundation or a command upon which to base all of our decisions.

In this case, as Kant pointed out with his categorical imperative, I know that at all times and in all situations I should never make an exception of myself.  I should never act in a way that I cannot at the same time will to be universalized.  For example, if I cannot will that all people download illegal music from the internet, I should refrain from doing the same myself.

However, this theory also has its disadvantages.  On the one hand, it is difficult to get all people to agree on the same law or the same commands.  If people do not recognize the same authority, their deontological ethic will differ substantially.  On the other hand, it is possible to universalize any command if one would like, such as “don’t eat ice-cream on Sundays”.

There is nothing wrong with this principle, but as an ethical command it is rather nonsensical.  As such, deontology needs some other criteria for deciding which duties should be universalized than the theory itself allows.

References

Kant, Immanuel (1948).  Groundwork of the Metaphysics

of Morals.  (H. J. Paton, Trans.). London: Hutchinson.  (Original work published 1785, and published in a collection in 1903; page references to this edition).

Kant, Immanuel (1836).  The Metaphysics of Ethics.  (John William Semple, Trans.).  Edinburgh: Thomas Clark.  (Original work published 1785).