Deontological Versus Teleological 1 Deontological Versus Teleological Ethical Systems Your name ADJ 235 Due date Instructors name Deontological Versus Teleological 2 How is morality determined An individual s morals can be analyzed by determining if his or her actions were in compliance with good intentions Was an action completed regardless of the outcome with the best of intentions Another way to analyze morality is to judge the outcome of an individual s actions These two means of analyzing ethics refer to different types of ethical systems deontological and teleological These two systems both judge an individual s morals but differ in many respects Deontological System Nawaz 2008 states Deonto is a Greek word which means duty page 29 of text This explains the very basic idea of the deontological system that judge an individual s ethics on his or her duty or right to act in a certain manner If an act is inherently good or even if it results in bad consequences it is still considered a good act For example if a parent sends his or her children out to the store it is the duty of the older child to look after the younger one This action is inherently good If the younger of the two children would unfortunately be hit by a vehicle as long as the older child was trying to protect the younger one the outcome of the action would be discounted The ethical systems that fall under deontological system are ethical formalism natural law religion and egoism Teleological System Teleological system varies from the deontological system because it analyzes the consequences of an action rather than the action itself If the result of an action is good then the action must have been justifiable BJC 2008 This system contains the utilitarianism system as well as ethics of virtue and ethics of care The teleological system is similar to the deontological Deontological Versus Teleological 3 system in that it judges morality and has specific systems and criteria that are used to judge an individual s ethics Utilitarianism Utilitarianism holds that the moral worth of an action or practice is determined solely by the consequences of the action or practice Baylor University 2008 This is the basis of the teleological system For example if two hikers get stranded in the wilderness with their only pet the only way to survive would be to kill and eat the pet This choice would not be an easy one and most ethical decisions can be difficult but the outcome would be that the two hikers survives which is a good outcome and according to utilitarianism their actions were justifiable Religion One s religion in most cases is the basis for moral and ethical beliefs Religion might be defined as a body of beliefs that addresses fundamental issues such as what is life or what is right and wrong A religion also provides moral guidelines and directions on how to live one s life For believers the authority of God s will is beyond question An individual s action is judged by God and the morality of that action is determined by why one committed that action BJC 2008 For an example if an individual gives a large monetary donation to a homeless individual seeking nothing in return that action is moral but if the same individual gives the same donation seeking notoriety then the action is immoral Natural Law The natural law ethical system presupposes that what is good is what is natural and what is natural is what is good The essence of morality is what conforms to the natural world thus Deontological Versus Teleological 4 there are basic inclinations that form the core of moral principle There is a universal set of rights and wrongs that is similar to many religious beliefs but there is no reference to a specific supernatural figure Individuals are born with a desire and a will to protect themselves For example if an individual at home and attacked by an intruder and in the process killing the intruder the individual s actions will be seen as ethical The individual did what was natural to defend one s self and property This act is judged based on the situation in another situation killing another individual would be seen as a wrong action Ethics of Virtue Ethics of virtue seeks to define what is good action Ethics of virtue do not look at the action being committed but who is committing the action This ethical system rejects the approach that one might use reason to discover what is good Instead the principle is that to be good one must do good If an individual who is seen as virtuous by others and a convicted criminal each completes the same action The criminal s actions would be seen as wrong while the virtuous individual may receive more lenient approval The individual s actions are moral and ethical so his or her actions were justifiable Ethical Formalism Ethical formalism is a type of deontological ethical system because the important determinant for judging whether an act is moral is not its consequence but only the motive or intent of the actor Thomson Wadsworth 2005 This means that although the situation may not be ideal an individual still must do what is right Another characteristic of ethical formalism is that moral actions are universal One individual cannot be held to different standards For Egoism do to be fed Ethics of Care are moral Final Thought Deontological Versus Teleological 5 example if an individual witnesses a car accident and stops to assist the injured but the victim is further injured due to the actions of the Good Samaritan the actions were ethical This simply postulates that what is good for one s survival and personal happiness is moral This system also states that what is good for an individual is good regardless of the reasons or consequences For example if an individual has no food or money to buy food and steals something to eat this action is good The individual needs food and did what one has to The emphasis in on human relationships mostly on individuals who cannot care for themselves and treating others in a way that does not hurt them meeting their needs is more important than securing their rights Meeting an individual s needs as one wanted the actions It is the author s opinion that the teleological system best fits his views An individual s actions are generally good and when given the opportunity to do good most individuals will Individuals are faced with moral decisions on a daily basis and there is no universal code as to how to handle those decisions The teleological system allows